Investment Banking

Archegos wipes off $6bn from top banks’ stock trading units in first quarter

The stock trading units of the 12 biggest investment banks were on track to make $17.7bn in the first three months of the year, an increase of 63%. Then Archegos hit

Credit Suisse has been hardest hit by Archegos' collapse, with the Swiss bank taking $5.5bn in losses
Credit Suisse has been hardest hit by Archegos' collapse, with the Swiss bank taking $5.5bn in losses Photo: Getty Images

The implosion of family office Archegos Capital wiped off more than $6bn from the world’s largest investment banks' equities business, as stock trading units were at the sharp end of job cuts despite a surge in revenues in the first three months of the year.

The stock trading units of the 12 biggest investment banks would have made $17.7bn in the first three months of the year, an increase of 63%, according to analysis by research firm Coalition. However, the implosion of Bill Hwang’s family office, which rocked Wall Street and European banks with a $10bn margin call in March, means that gains shrunk to 6%, or $11.5bn in revenues.

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