UBS AG
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Quarterly Reporting  
     
At a Glance
Changes in 2008
UBS results in first quarter 2008
Risk management and control
Business groups and Corporate Center results
Capital management, balance sheet, liquidity management and off-balance sheet
Financial Statements
Contacts
 

Notes (unaudited)
Notes (unaudited)

Note 1 Basis of Accounting
Note 1  Basis of Accounting

UBS AG's ("UBS") consolidated financial statements (Financial Statements) are prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and stated in Swiss francs (CHF). These Financial Statements are presented in accordance with IAS 34 Interim Financial Reporting. In preparing the interim Financial Statements, the same accounting principles and methods of computation are applied as in the Financial Statements on 31 December 2007 and for the year then ended except for the changes set out below. For fair value measurements applied in first quarter 2008, UBS provides complementary information in Note 9.

The interim Financial Statements are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods have been made.

These interim Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Financial Statements included in the UBS Annual Report 2007.

Note that UBS has re-filed its Annual Report 2007 on Form 20-F with the SEC due to the adoption of IFRS 2 Share-based Payment: Vesting Conditions and Cancellations on 1  January 2008 as prior periods have been restated.

IFRS 2 Share-based Payment: Vesting Conditions and Cancellations

On 1 January 2008, UBS adopted an amendment to IFRS 2 Share-based Payment: Vesting Conditions and Cancellations and fully restated the two comparative prior years. The amended standard clarifies the definition of vesting conditions and the accounting treatment of cancellations. Under the amended standard, UBS is required to distinguish between vesting conditions (such as service and performance conditions) and non-vesting conditions.

The amended standard no longer considers vesting conditions to include certain non-compete provisions.

The impact of this change is that UBS compensation awards are expensed over the period that the employee is required to provide active services in order to earn the award. This no longer includes the non-compete period.

Post-vesting sale and hedge restrictions and non-vesting conditions are considered when determining grant date fair value. The effect of the restatement on the opening balance sheet at 1 January 2006 was as follows: reduction of retained earnings by approximately CHF 2.3 billion, increase of share premium by approximately CHF 2.3 billion, increase of liabilities (including deferred tax liabilities) by approximately CHF 0.5 billion, and increase of deferred tax assets by approximately CHF 0.5 billion. Additional compensation expense of CHF 797 million and CHF 516 million was recognized in 2007 and 2006, respectively.

The implementation of the amended IFRS 2 resulted in the following increases of compensation expenses previously reported in the quarterly Financial Statements 2007: CHF 280 million, CHF 124 million, CHF 79 million and CHF 314 million for the quarters ended 31 March 2007, 30 June 2007, 30 September 2007 and 31 December 2007, respectively. These additional compensation expenses include awards granted in 2008 for the performance year 2007. The impact of the restatement on total equity as at 31 December 2007 was a decrease of CHF 366 million. Retained earnings at 31 December 2007 decreased by approximately CHF 3.9 billion, share premium increased by approximately CHF 3.5 billion, liabilities (including deferred tax liabilities) increased by approximately CHF 0.6 billion and deferred tax assets increased by approximately CHF 0.2 billion. The restatement decreased basic and diluted earnings per share as follows: CHF 0.12, CHF 0.04, CHF 0.02 and CHF 0.27 for the quarters ended 31 March 2007, 30 June 2007, 30 September 2007 and 31 December 2007, respectively.

The additional compensation expense is attributable to the acceleration of expense related to share-based awards as well as for certain AIV awards and deferred cash compensation awards which contain non-compete provisions and sale and hedge restrictions that no longer qualify as vesting conditions under the Standard.

Revenues from Industrial Holdings and Goods and materials purchased

The income statement does not include the lines Revenues from Industrial Holdings and Goods and materials purchased, as the last consolidated industrial private equity investment in Industrial Holdings was sold in first quarter 2008 and is classified as a discontinued operation in UBS's income statement. Prior periods have been restated to reflect this classification.

Changes to segment reporting

UBS has continuously reduced its private equity business in Industrial Holdings over the last three years. The business no longer includes consolidated industrial private equity investments. Starting first quarter 2008, UBS is reporting the remaining activities from this business, mainly financial investments available-for-sale, under Corporate Center.

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Annual Reporting 2007