At least 8 foreign banks express merger interest in UBS

At least 8 foreign banks have expressed interest in a merger or combination with UBS Group AG, according to a report by Swiss newspaper SonntagsBlick on September 27, 2026.

The interest follows a regulatory vote on September 23, 2026, in which the Swiss Council of States approved a requirement for systemically important banks to back foreign subsidiaries with 90% Common Equity Tier 1 capital. That marks an increase from the previous requirement of 60%.

UBS estimates that the 90% backing rule would require between $16 billion and $18 billion in additional capital. The bank also calculated that complying with the stricter capital framework would create an annualized cost of $2.5 billion.

Lawmakers in the Swiss National Council are discussing an alternative compromise threshold that would set the capital backing requirement at 75%.