UBS
Global 500 rank: 119
2008 loss ($ millions): 19,301*
Ticker: UBS
Even international banks couldn't avoid the damage done by the collapse of the U.S. housing bubble. Case in point: Swiss bank UBS, which said its investment banking division's exposure to "U.S. real estate and other credit positions" was largely responsible for its losses.
Those losses, the largest in Swiss history, resulted in a roughly $5 billion capital infusion from the Swiss government. The abysmal year for UBS meant shareholders saw a 58% fall in market capitalization, while employee headcount was cut by 7% and compensation was reduced by 36%. UBS also took on a hefty $780 million fine for helping high-net-worth Americans evade taxes.
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Last updated July 08 2009: 12:11 PM ET
* Also lost money in 2007.
