A report by Reuters raises the concern, saying clients of Switzerland’s largest bank have had their loyalty tested on several occasions in recent years, such as when, last year, the bank disclosed that a rogue trader had racked up $2.3 billion of losses .

But so far, results have shown that UBS’ wealth arm, now more crucial to the bank’s fortunes as the investment bank is scaled back in its exposures, is not suffering. According to third-quarter results, across all regions, combined inflows to wealth management totaled more than SFr12 billion in the quarter.

UBS declined to comment further to this publication about the item beyond pointing out that it does expect to log net new money in the fourth quarter, and that it remains one of the world's best capitalized banks.

Reuters quoted one Zurich-based investment manager with a stake in UBS – the manager was not named - as saying: "UBS has been involved in an endless series of incidents in the last couple of years and it will take some time - several years without more damaging news - to restore trust."

"Judging whether individual clients, charities or foundations will leave the bank as a result of this is very difficult to say," the news service quoted Neil Wilkinson, portfolio manager at Royal London Asset Management, as saying.

In the past, analysts have told this publication that UBS has weathered so many previous mishaps that those clients minded to leave the firm will have already done so.

Even so, as UBS prepares to report a large loss in the fourth quarter – as it flagged in its LIBOR announcement earlier this week – the Swiss bank will hope that clients continue to show loyalty to an institution that has had to contend with yet more controversy. Indeed, what is noteworthy about UBS, judging by recent results, is how resilient clients, and for that matter new ones, seem to be in the face of unattractive headlines.