UBS Group's Arm to Divest O'Connor Business to Cantor Fitzgerald

Core Insights - UBS Group AG's subsidiary, UBS Asset Management, has reached a definitive agreement to sell its hedge fund, private credit, and commodities business, O'Connor, to Cantor Fitzgerald as part of its strategy to streamline operations [1][5] - The transaction involves approximately $11 billion in assets under management and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals [2][5] - UBS will maintain a long-term commercial arrangement with Cantor Fitzgerald to ensure continuity for UBS Global Wealth Management clients [3] Company Strategy - The divestiture aligns with UBS's broader strategy of focusing on core operations following the acquisition of Credit Suisse in 2023, aiming to reduce non-core and legacy risk-weighted assets to below $8 billion by the end of 2025 [5] - UBS has also formed a strategic partnership with 360 ONE WAM Ltd, acquiring a 4.95% share while selling its onshore Indian wealth business [6] Financial Performance - UBS aims to achieve $13 billion in gross cost savings by the end of 2026 through its restructuring efforts [7] - Despite these efforts, UBS shares have decreased by 2.4% over the past six months, contrasting with the industry's growth of 21.7% [8]