* Vontobel 2009 net 138 million Sfr vs forecast 135 million
* Says client trust returning, recovery process not yet over
* CEO says bank could make private bank buy
* Net new money in private bank disappoints
* Shares rise 1.7 percent (Recasts, adds further details)
Martin de Sa'Pinto
ZURICH, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Swiss private bank Vontobel's 2009 net profit rose 22 percent as a doubling in trading income outweighed a drop in fee and commission income, and cost-cutting measures kicked in.
Net new money at Vontobel's private bank disappointed, however, at 0.4 billion Swiss francs, including outflows of 0.2 billion francs at the recently-acquired Commerzbank (Schweiz) as the bank failed to capitalise on UBS's woes.
"The volume of new money we attracted fell short of our targets. We have implemented measures in the wealth and asset management business to clearly increase the inflow of new money in 2010," said Vontobel CEO Herbert Scheidt in a statement.
Net profit climbed to 138 million Swiss francs ($128 million), beating analyst expectations, as structured products activities accounted for a large chunk of the rise in trading business.
Chief Executive Herbert Scheidt told Reuters in an interview the bank had begun to invest early in its onshore businesses in Germany and Italy, and had thus weathered the fallout well from attacks on Switzerland's tax and secrecy laws.
However, the bank was yet to capitalise on client defections from large rival UBS following that bank's damaging tax dispute with the U.S. government, with those clients opting for state-backed rivals like ZKB.
Total assets under management rose to 75.2 billion francs, with asset values, the Commerzbank (Schweiz) acquisition and net new money all contributing, but net new money disappointed, particularly in private banking.
Shares traded up 1.7 percent at 32.80 Swiss francs by 1136 GMT, in line with the DJ Stoxx European banks index.
ACQUIRER, OR TARGET?
Peter Thorne, an analyst at brokerage Helvea, said the bank's overall profitability was almost entirely dependent on investment banking, and it was having difficulty diversifying away from that business.
"The harsh reality seems to be that the bank is sub-scale in private banking and even in asset management to earn decent profits and demonstrate sustainable momentum," said Thorne in a research note.
It said its growth strategy this year included the planned opening of branches in the Swiss cities of Basel and Berne.
Last year Vontobel bought Commerzbank's Swiss arm for an undisclosed sum.
Scheidt said the bank would complete its integration of Commerzbank by the end of the month, and could subsequently consider an acquisition in private banking, although it had no immediate need to do so.
Analysts were more sceptical about the bank's prospects.
"With all the M&A activity about to happen in Swiss banking amongst the smaller players, Vontobel is more likely to be a victim than an aggressor and that prospect should excite some interest, but as an investment bank the shares are high enough," said Thorne.
Vontobel currently trades at around 12 times consensus earnings for 2010, in line with peer EFG International but at a discount to larger rival Bank Sarasin ($1=1.080 Swiss Franc) (Editing by Jon Loades-Carter and Rupert Winchester)