ZURICH, Sept 26, 2007 (AFP) - The Swiss banking group Credit Suisse said Wednesday it was shedding 150 jobs due to the impact of the recent subprime lending crisis in the United States.

The job cuts, mainly in London and New York, will target its mortgage-backed securities business and take immediate effect, a Credit Suisse spokesman said.

'Volumes in mortgage markets have dropped sharply, and that has brought us to carry out job reductions,' he told AFP.

He said Credit Suisse would continue its activity in the sector with smaller volumes.

ZURICH, Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) - Switzerland's second largest bank, Credit Suisse, on Thursday reported a 24 percent gain in first half net earnings and said it remained 'very cautious' about the impact of the US mortgage market crisis in the second half.

Credit Suisse said net profit came to 5.91 billion Swiss francs (3.6 billion euros, 4.9 billion dollars) compared with the same period last year.

Net banking income in first half 2007 was 22.37 billion Swiss francs, a gain of 26 percent.

GENEVA, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Switzerland`s second largest banking group, Credit Suisse said on Tuesday that it has launched a specialised investment fund that caters for devout Christian customers.

The 'Christian Values Fund' launched at the beginning of July will not include any investments in companies producing or dealing with weapons, alcohol, pornography or games of chance.

'We have clients that are sensitive to the values of Christianity,' a Credit Suisse spokesman told AFP.