After taking a severe bashing for months over costly bets on the U.S. home loans market, UBS AG has the chance to reassure investors about its financial situation and its strategic outlook at Thursday's extraordinary shareholder meeting.

Even as the deepening financial crisis is raising the spectre of more heavy write-downs at UBS and is keeping its share price under pressure, the Swiss bank's third meeting this year is likely to be less tumultuous than the previous events where investors grudgingly backed two capital hikes.