What Does UBS Stand For?

UBS stands for a bank that no longer exists by that name

Here is how the letters lined up in the original bank's English name:

Switzerland has several national languages, so the bank also had German, French and Italian names. The English initials happened to work well internationally, which helped them survive the merger. When Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation joined, the new firm picked UBS for the whole group and stopped treating it as short for anything. Brands that keep their letters after the words are dropped are sometimes called orphan initialisms; KPMG and AOL have similar stories.

What does UBS stand for as a business today?

• Wealth management: advisers who help clients invest, plan for retirement and pass money to the next generation. This is the largest part of the business.
• Investment bank: services for companies, such as advice on mergers, raising money through an IPO and trading.
• Asset management: running investment funds for institutions and individuals.
• Personal and corporate banking in Switzerland: everyday accounts, loans and mortgages for Swiss customers.

In the United States, most people meet UBS through its financial advisers or in business news, rather than at a corner branch.

Where you might see UBS

• On an account statement from a financial adviser.
• On the name of an office tower or a sports arena sponsored by the bank.
• In job listings for advisers, analysts and tech staff.
• In market reports and economic forecasts quoted by reporters.

How to say and write UBS

Say the letters one by one: "you bee ess." Because the U sounds like "you," it takes "a," not "an": "a UBS adviser." The company writes its name in capital letters without periods. In formal writing there is no need to spell out Union Bank of Switzerland, since the firm itself no longer uses that full form. Only mention it when you are explaining where the name came from. Wondering which label fits letters like these? Try acronym vs abbreviation.

The three keys on the emblem

The bank's emblem shows three crossed keys. They came from Swiss Bank Corporation, one of the two banks in the merger, and the company has described them as standing for confidence, security and discretion. The keys are a symbol, not letters, so they do not change what the name means. They do give a clue that the modern firm is a blend of two older banks.

UBS sentences and look-alikes

• "Her grandfather has worked with a UBS adviser for years."
• "UBS is one of the largest banks in Switzerland."
• "The UBS report expects slower growth next quarter."

Watch for USB, Universal Serial Bus. The same three letters in a different order name the plug on your laptop, and quick typists swap them often. You can browse more firms known by initials in the brand name acronyms section.