UBS pegs Puerto Rican bet at $41 million

Brokerage unit posts third quarter trading decline but still delivers pretax profit.
DEC 06, 2013
UBS AG has put a cost on its brokerage's bet on Puerto Rico — $41 million. In its third-quarter earnings report released Tuesday, UBS said it took a $20 million trading loss and $21 million in credit losses connected to loans that were backed by Puerto Rican municipal securities and "related funds." The trading loss reflects provisions UBS made to continue providing liquidity to clients in that U.S. territory's bonds as they declined in value, according to UBS spokesman Gregg Rosenberg. Mr. Rosenberg said the company also made lending facilities backed by Puerto Rican debt available to its wealth management clients, and the credit losses reflect the diminished value of that collateral. “In our view this is a market issue and not a UBS issue,” Mr. Rosenberg said. A UBS unit, UBS Financial Services Inc. of Puerto Rico, is the subject of arbitration by investors who say they were sold highly leveraged closed-end funds by the unit's registered representatives and brokers but then took major losses. The UBS Puerto Rico family of funds consists of 14 closed-end funds sold exclusively through reps and brokers with UBS Financial Services Inc. of Puerto Rico. According to marketing materials, UBS had sold more than $10 billion of the closed-end funds through the end of 2012. (Don't miss: UBS Puerto Rico funds plummet ) Overall, trading income at UBS Wealth Management Americas dropped nearly 23% in the period to $94 million, but the brokerage nonetheless delivered to its Swiss parent a $218 million pretax profit. Net income was down 11% from the second quarter, but up 32% from the third quarter of last year, driven by interest, fees and commissions on client balances lifted by strong market performance. Client balances at the wealth management firm now stand at $969 billion, including $2.1 billion in new assets from clients, lower than the $2.8 billion in the second quarter because recruited advisers brought smaller books of business, UBS said. The nation's fourth-largest brokerage increased adviser head count by 38 in the quarter to 7,137, and joined competitors Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and Bank of America Merrill Lynch in claiming historically low attrition rates.

Latest News

Chicago’s 'Mr. Finance' posed as advisor in loan scheme, according to Illinois regulators
Chicago’s 'Mr. Finance' posed as advisor in loan scheme, according to Illinois regulators

The Illinois order refers to Brandon Ellington’s investment program as a “Ponzi-like scheme.”

Bezos calls for zero income tax on bottom half of earners
Bezos calls for zero income tax on bottom half of earners

But the Amazon executive chair seems to want it both ways, arguing that taxing the ultra-wealthy won't help struggling Americans.

Why the Charity Parity Act matters for retired clients in 401(k)s
Why the Charity Parity Act matters for retired clients in 401(k)s

Northern Trust planning leader sees the bill extending qualified charitable distributions to employer plans as a potential positive step — but advisors shouldn't overlook bigger holes in the strategy.

Trust is built before volatility arrives
Trust is built before volatility arrives

Markets will always create reasons for investors to worry. The advisor’s role is not to predict uncertainty, but to help clients understand why volatility should not derail a well-built financial plan.

Fintech bytes: Orion and Flourish bring client cash into advisor workflows
Fintech bytes: Orion and Flourish bring client cash into advisor workflows

Plus, Asset-Map partners with Contio to elevate the advisor meeting experience, and MyVest claims an innovation in portfolio management with separately managed models.

SPONSORED Beyond wealth management: Why the future of advice is becoming more human

As technical expertise becomes increasingly commoditized, advisors who can integrate strategy, relationships, and specialized expertise into a cohesive client experience will define the next era of wealth management

SPONSORED Durability over scale: What actually defines a great advisory firm

Growth may get the headlines, but in my experience, longevity is earned through structure, culture, and discipline