Jan 15 (Reuters) - Swiss bank UBS is a step closer to getting a national bank charter for its U.S. franchise after receiving a first conditional approval, the company said on Thursday.
"This milestone marks
a significant step toward securing final approval of our National Bank Charter, reinforcing UBS's commitment to growth and strengthening our position as the premier global wealth manager in the U.S.," a UBS spokesperson said.
UBS applied for a full banking licence in the United States in October in a bid to grow its wealth management business in the U.S., even as regulators in Switzerland have sought to limit its reach abroad.
Following the collapse of Credit Suisse and its emergency takeover by UBS, the Swiss government has proposed stricter capital rules to back the bank's foreign units, a step Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said will make growing abroad "more expensive."
But UBS considers the U.S. a key growth market and has sought to catch up with the profitability of leading U.S. banks.
The Swiss bank received conditional approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, UBS said, which is the first step in the licensing process.
The second and final approval could follow in 2026, subject to UBS fulfilling several conditions set by U.S. authorities.
If granted, UBS would be the first Swiss bank to obtain such a licence in the United States, allowing it to match the full range of services offered by U.S. banks, including checking accounts, savings accounts and mortgages.
(Reporting by Federica Mileo in Barcelona and Ariane Luthi in Zurich; Editing by Susan Fenton, Rod Nickel)
