UBS generated a net profit attributable to shareholders of $3 billion for the first quarter, up 80% year-on-year and surpassing the $2.8 billion estimated by analysts, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus poll.
The Swiss banking and asset management giant’s common equity tier (CET) 1 capital ratio — a gauge of a bank’s solvency — also increased, reaching 14.7% during the period, up from 14.4% the previous quarter.
UBS said it remains on track to buy back $3 billion in shares ahead of its next earnings report for the second quarter, having repurchased $900 million of shares during the three-month period. The bank also flagged plans for further share buybacks by the end of the year.
Reporting its first quarter earnings on Wednesday, the Zurich-headquartered firm said markets have remained “resilient” amid hopes of a lasting resolution to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
But acknowledging that risks remain “elevated” amid a rapidly-changing situation, the bank warned that second quarter net interest income across both its global wealth management and personal and corporate banking businesses is set to be “broadly flat”.
