Equities revenue plummeted 95 in the fourth quarter
Bank earlier informally looked at options for unit sources
Bank declines to comment on 39;rumours and speculation39;

LONDON, March 8 Reuters At the grandiose Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel, Credit Suisse hosted its top clients in October amid growing doubts it was still in the securities trading game after a series of highprofile blunders.

From BlackRock to CBOE Global Markets, investors and trading firms were treated to fireside chats with guests such as former U.S. President George W. Bush, networking by the lavish hotel39;s beachside pools, and fine dining. But it wasn39;t long before the mood turned sour, according to an executive at the threeday conference.

As the sun rose in Florida on day two, back in London, the Swiss bank39;s managers were unveiling their latest restructuring plans and the global securities trading business being showcased in Miami was in the crosshairs.

Scarred by a 5.5 billion hit from the unravelling of U.S. investment firm Archegos in 2021, a retreat from the hedge fund business and unprecedented client outflows, Credit Suisse said it needed billions in capital and planned to spin off the bulk of its investment bank, sending its shares into a tailspin.

At the Fontainebleau hotel, Credit Suisse bankers were puzzled by the announcements, and concerned about their jobs being on the line, said the executive, who declined to be named.

In subsequent weeks, some of those bankers were let…