ZURICH - As UBS prepares to post earnings this week, investors and employees are eagerly awaiting clues as to how Switzerland's largest bank is faring after swallowing up its fallen rival Credit Suisse.
UBS is due to release its second-quarter income statement early Thursday -- the first results presented since the mega-merger that rocked the Swiss banking scene earlier this year.
Keen attention will be paid to layoff plans and the fate of Credit Suisse's Swiss division, which have been at the heart of swirling rumours in recent months.
Swiss authorities strongarmed UBS into the $3.25-billion takeover on March 19 to prevent its closest domestic rival from going under -- which could have had catastrophic consequences for the global financial system.
But since the complex merger was completed in June, UBS has divulged little about its plans.
In the meantime, the number of questions around the repercussions of the deal has swelled.
UBS has already indicated that the results should include an exceptional accounting gain of nearly $35-billion due to the difference between the purchase price and the recognised net assets of Credit Suisse.
They will also include less than a month of integrated Credit Suisse results, making any profit estimates difficult, he said.