Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Nov 20, 2025

Markets still uncertain after SVB and Credit Suisse shocks

Markets still uncertain after SVB and Credit Suisse shocks

Concerns abound as the FTSE is on course to be down in the week overall and questions swirl around strategically important banks rescuing First Republic Bank.
A tumultuous week in the markets ended on an uncertain note - suggesting fears remain after large losses from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

The FTSE 100 (Financial Times Stock Exchange) index of the most valued companies on the London Stock Exchange started the day at around the 7,500 mark - better than all of Thursday and most of Wednesday and a 1% increase - but the early morning gains had worn off by the close.

The most widely followed index of European stocks, the STOXX 600, had similar results and started the day up 0.8%, also better than Thursday and most of Wednesday, but lost all gains by end of day.

It followed the close on Thursday night of Asian markets, including Tokyo's Nikkei and China's Shanghai Composite, in positive territory.

The activity came after a group of 11 major banks provided $30bn (£24.7bn) of cash in an effort to end the crisis of confidence around First Republic, a regional US lender.

The bank has seen its share price collapse about 75% amid sector-wide balance sheet scrutiny following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last Friday.

That collapse brought about a turbulent start to the week as the FTSE 100 was dragged down 2.2%, more than last Friday's 1.7% fall from when SVB news came through.

But the move did not reassure markets, as on Friday afternoon there was a more than 20% fall in share value.

Credit Suisse concerns

On top of the Silicon Valley Bank collapse, the troubles of Credit Suisse also led to investor jitters this week.

Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second-largest bank, has now been hit by a US investors lawsuit, over accusations the bank concealed its troubles.

It announced on Wednesday it had found "material weaknesses" in its financial reporting processes for 2021 and 2022.

Its shareholder, Saudi National Bank, said it would not provide any further financial assistance causing the value of the bank to fall by 30%.

The Swiss central bank stepped in to provide funding of 50bn Swiss francs (£44.5bn), which was welcomed by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

Now the bank is being sued by US investors who claim the lender made "materially false and misleading statements" in its 2021 annual report.

'We are not out of the woods'

Analysts have cautioned the difficulties are not over.

"We are not out of the woods," the chief market analyst at financial services company Finalto said.

The FTSE 100 is on course to be 3% down in the week overall and there is concern over the involvement of large banks in supporting First Republic Bank (FRB).

"Spreading the risk of financial contagion to achieve a false sense of confidence in FRB is bad policy," billionaire investor Bill Ackman said.

"The [strategically important banks] would never have made this low return investment in deposits unless they were pressured to do so and without assurances that FRB deposits would be backstopped if it failed.

"The market has responded to this fictional vote of confidence with a 35% after-market decline in FRB stock."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Mining Strategy to Build a New Economic Pillar
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arrives in Washington to Reset U.S.–Saudi Strategic Alliance
Saudi-Israeli Normalisation Deal Looms, But Riyadh Insists on Proceeding After Israeli Elections
Saudis Prioritise US Defence Pact and AI Deals, While Israel Normalisation Takes Back Seat
Saudi Crown Prince’s Washington Visit Aims to Advance Defence, AI and Nuclear Cooperation
Saudi Delegation Strengthens EU–MENA Security Cooperation in Lisbon
Saudi Arabia’s Fossil-Fuel Dominance Powers Global Climate Blockade
Trump Organization Engages Saudi Government-Owned Real-Estate Deal Amid White House Visit
Trump Organization Nears Billion-Dollar Saudi Real Estate Deal Amid White House Diplomacy
Israel Presses U.S. to Tie Saudi F-35 Sale to Formal Normalisation
What We Know Now: Donald Trump’s Financial Ties to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Defence Wish List for Washington: From AI Drones to Nuclear Umbrella
Analysis Shows China, Saudi Arabia and UAE among Major Recipients of Climate Finance Loans
Why a Full Saudi–Israel Normalisation Deal Eludes Trump’s Reach
Trump Presses Saudi Arabia to Normalise Ties with Israel as MBS Prepares for White House Visit
US-Saudi Summit Set for November 18 Seeks Defence Pact and Israel Normalisation Momentum
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Visits Saudi Arabia Amid Potential Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Cristiano Ronaldo Embraces Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Vision with Key Role
Saudi Arabia’s Execution Campaign Escalates as Crown Prince Readies U.S. Visit
Trump Unveils Middle East Reset: Syria Re-engaged, Saudi Ties Amplified
Saudi Arabia to Build Future Cities Designed with Tourists in Mind, Says Tourism Minister
Saudi Arabia Advances Regulated Stablecoin Plans with Global Crypto Exchange Support
Saudi Arabia Maintains Palestinian State Condition Ahead of Possible Israel Ties
Chinese Steel Exports Surge 41% to Saudi Arabia as Mills Pivot Amid Global Trade Curbs
Saudi Arabia’s Biban Forum 2025 Secures Over US$10 Billion in Deals Amid Global SME Drive
Saudi Arabia Sets Pre-Conditions for Israel Normalisation Ahead of Trump Visit
MrBeast’s ‘Beast Land’ Arrives in Riyadh as Part of Riyadh Season 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Asserts Saudi Pro League Outperforms Ligue 1 Amid Scoring Feats
AI Researchers Claim Human-Level General Intelligence Is Already Here
Saudi Arabia Pauses Major Stretch of ‘The Line’ Megacity Amid Budget Re-Prioritisation
Saudi Arabia Launches Instant e-Visa Platform for Over 60 Countries
Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President, Dies at 84
Saudi Crown Prince to Visit Trump at White House on November Eighteenth
×