Swiss monetary regulator Finma has defended its determination to wipe out the worth of dangerous further tier 1 bonds as a part of the Credit score Suisse rescue deal.

The transfer enraged some bondholders as a result of Credit score Suisse shareholders will obtain a payout.

In a press release on Thursday, Finma stated the AT1s “contractually present that they are going to be fully written down in a ‘viability occasion’, specifically if extraordinary authorities assist is granted”, and famous that the financial institution acquired emergency loans backed by a authorities assure on March 19.

“On Sunday, an answer was discovered to guard purchasers, the monetary centre and the markets,” stated Finma’s chief govt City Angehrn. “On this context, it is vital that Credit score Suisse’s banking enterprise continues to perform easily and with out interruption.”

US distressed debt traders and company litigators are getting ready to combat the Swiss authorities over its determination to write down down $17bn of Credit score Suisse bonds as a part of the financial institution’s takeover by UBS.

Switzerland used an emergency ordinance to write down down the bonds to zero, even because it orchestrated a deal the place UBS can pay $3.25bn to shareholders.

AT1s are a category of debt designed to take losses when establishments run into bother however are usually believed to rank forward of fairness on the steadiness sheet.