DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with Commerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with Commerzbank CEO Bettina OrloppCommerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp discusses the German bank's third-quarter earnings, UniCredit's bid to take over Commerzbank and the broader German economy.

Persons: Bettina Orlopp

☆ Watch CNBC's full interview with UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's full interview with UniCredit CEO Andrea OrcelUniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel discusses the Italian bank's third-quarter earnings and its bid for Commerzbank.

Persons: Andrea Orcel Organizations: Commerzbank

☆ UniCredit and Commerzbank square off with target hikes amid takeover battle
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-06 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of German bank Commerzbank seen on a branch office near the Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt. Daniel Roland | Afp | Getty ImagesTwo months since UniCredit played its opening move to woo German lender Commerzbank , the lenders flaunted their financial strength as one of Europe's largest banking mergers still hangs in balance. Both banks reported third-quarter results on Wednesday, with UniCredit posting an 8% year-on-year hike in net profit to 2.5 billion euros ($2.25 billion), compared with a Reuters-reported 2.27-billion euro forecast. It raised its full-year net profit guidance to above 9 billion euros, from a previous outlook of 8.5 billion euros. When the Italian lender showed its hand by using derivatives to build a potential 21% stake in Commerzbank, the German lender appointed a new CEO and sharpened its financial targets.

Persons: Daniel Roland, UniCredit, Commerzbank, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, Bettina Orlopp, Orlopp, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, waylay, Let's, hadn't, Andrea Orcel, CNBC's Charlotte Reed Organizations: Afp, Getty, Reuters, CNBC, Wednesday, German Ministry of Finance Locations: Frankfurt, Europe, Commerzbank, Berlin

☆ Russia hit Google with a fine so big it defies comprehension, exposing a legal system adrift
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Joshua Nelken-Zitser | Kieran Corcoran | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The fine points to a Russian legal system focused more on symbolic punishment than enforcement. All the same, that is what a Russian court maintains the company owes, as punishment for suspending accounts from YouTube. Related storiesLegal experts told Business Insider what it symbolizes is a Russian legal and economic system estranged from much of the world. AdvertisementRussia has effectively annulled intellectual property rights, enabling its companies to freely use patents and designs from Western companies. The scholars BI spoke to did not expect any other nation's court to try to enforce the Google fine.

Persons: —, Dmitri Peskov, Tyler Kustra, Kustra, Heineken, Christine Abely, Abely, Nathanael Tilahun, hasn't, Oleksandra, Snellman Organizations: YouTube, Google, Service, UK's University of Nottingham, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, New England Law, University of Essex, Bloomberg Locations: Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Dutch, Hong Kong , South Africa, Netherlands

☆ Dutch government to reduce its stake in ABN Amro by a quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-15 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Dutch government on Tuesday said it will reduce its stake in lender ABN Amro by a quarter to 30% through a trading plan. Shares of the Dutch bank traded 1.2% lower at the market open and was last down 0.6% as of 9:15 a.m. London time. The Dutch government, which currently holds a 40.5% interest in ABN Amro, announced via its investment vehicle firm NLFI that it will sell shares using a pre-arranged trading plan set to be executed by Barclays Bank Ireland. ABN Amro was bailed out by the state during the 2008 financial crisis and later privatized in 2015. The U.K. and German administrations have both made moves this year to reduce their respective shareholdings in NatWest and Commerzbank.

Persons: UniCredit, Commerzbank Organizations: ABN Amro, Barclays Bank Ireland, NatWest, Commerzbank Locations: London, Europe

☆ UniCredit takeover of Commerzbank would create stronger group: Moody's
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailA UniCredit takeover of Commerzbank would create stronger, more diversified group: Moody's RatingsNick Hill, managing director and co-head of global banking at Moody's Ratings, discusses Commerzbank and UniCredit's ratings in regards to a potential merger.

Persons: Nick Hill

☆ Commerzbank and UniCredit set to meet as takeover prospect looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Commerzbank AG bank branch, in the financial district of Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesCommerzbank and UniCredit are set to begin talks Friday, with the German bank on the defensive over a potential takeover after its Italian counterpart unexpectedly increased its stake earlier this month. Speaking at a financial conference, Orlopp said the German bank was open minded, but that the speed of synergies and risks needed to be considered. The potential for a takeover or merger has been met with opposition from Germany's government and several senior figures at Commerzbank. Orlopp herself earlier this month told journalists that the process had taken Commerzbank by surprise, but urged a calm approach.

Persons: Krisztian Bocsi, Bettina Orlopp, Orlopp, Commerzbank, Manfred Knof, Germany's, Jens Weidmann, Stefan Wittmann Organizations: AG, Bloomberg, Getty, Reuters, CNBC Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Commerzbank

☆ UniCredit's Orcel acting 'slightly aggressively' but legitimately: OMFIF
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUniCredit's Orcel acting 'slightly aggressively' with pursuit of Commerzbank: David MarshDavid Marsh, chairman of OMFIF, discusses the potential takeover battle between UniCredit and Commerzbank, and the German banking environment.

Persons: David Marsh David Marsh, OMFIF Locations: UniCredit

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Time to look at AI-adjacent plays
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. The Stoxx Europe 600 Bank Index fell 0.73% as investors monitored UniCredit's potential merger with Commerzbank . Done selling NvidiaNvidia CEO Jensen Huang is done selling the company's stock for now. In March, Huang set out a plan to sell up to six million Nvidia shares by first quarter of 2025.

Persons: Jensen Huang, Huang, Meta Organizations: CNBC, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Commerzbank, Google, Microsoft Google, European Commission, European Union, Microsoft, Nvidia, Bain & Company, Labs, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Locations: Europe

☆ UniCredit's pursuit of Commerzbank reflects a watershed moment for Europe — and its banking union
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Kirill Kudryavtsev | Afp | Getty ImagesEuropean banking's latest takeover battle is widely regarded as a potential turning point for the region — particularly the bloc's incomplete banking union. Whatever the outcome of UniCredit's swoop on Commerzbank, Marsh said the episode marks "another huge test" for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. What is Europe's banking union? OMFIF's Marsh said Germany's opposition to UniCredit's move on Commerzbank means Berlin "now stands accused of favouring European banking integration only on its own terms." The logo of German bank Commerzbank seen on a branch office near The Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt.

Persons: Kirill Kudryavtsev, Italy's UniCredit, David Marsh, Marsh, Olaf Scholz, Scholz, –, Germany's Scholz, OMFIF's Marsh, UniCredit's, Daniel Roland, Onur Genç, Mario Centeno, CNBC's, —, Centeno Organizations: European Central Bank, Afp, Getty, London, European Union, CNBC, BBVA, Banco Sabadell, Reuters, European Central Bank's Governing, EU Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Germany's, Milan, Europe, Commerzbank, Italy, Berlin, Spanish, Brussels, Spain

☆ France's biggest lender says there are 'too many' European banks as UniCredit moves on Commerzbank
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A sign on the exterior of a BNP Paribas SA bank branch in Paris, France, on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. France's BNP Paribas on Thursday said there are simply too many European lenders for the region to be able to compete with rivals from the U.S. and Asia, calling for the creation of more homegrown heavyweight banking champions. Milan-based UniCredit has ratcheted up the pressure on Frankfurt-based Commerzbank in recent weeks as it seeks to become the biggest investor in Germany's second-largest lender with a 21% stake. UniCredit, which took a 9% stake in Commerzbank earlier this month, appears to have caught German authorities off guard with the potential multibillion-euro merger. Germany's position on UniCredit's swoop has prompted some to accuse Berlin of favoring European banking integration only on its own terms.

Persons: CNBC's Charlotte Reed, Lars Machenil, Germany's Commerzbank, Machenil, Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Berlin Organizations: BNP, SA, Bank of America Financials, Spain's BBVA, Banco Sabadell Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Asia, Europe, Milan, Frankfurt, Germany's

☆ Bettina Orlopp: The woman tasked with leading Commerzbank amid UniCredit takeover battle
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bettina Orlopp, chief financial officer of Commerzbank AG, speaks during a fourth quarter earnings news conference at the bank's headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. Commerzbank announced Tuesday it has picked 10-year veteran, and current Chief Financial Officer Bettina Orlopp to helm the bank as chief executive as it seeks to fend off a potential hostile takeover from Italian bank UniCredit. The bank has been on the defensive as UniCredit looks to become its largest shareholder, signaling the potential for a full takeover. Earlier this month, the Milan-based bank started building its shareholding with a 9% stake in Commerzbank. Senior officials at Commerzbank and the German government, which was the company's largest shareholder until UniCredit stepped in, have both said they oppose a hostile takeover.

Persons: Bettina Orlopp, Commerzbank, UniCredit, Orlopp, Manfred Knof Organizations: Commerzbank AG Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Milan, Commerzbank

☆ Commerzbank board member says UniCredit’s move on the lender raises ‘domino effect’ concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCommerzbank board member says UniCredit’s move on the lender raises ‘domino effect’ concernsStefan Wittman, supervisory board member at Commerzbank, discusses UniCredit’s push to become the biggest investor in Germany's second-largest lender.

Persons: UniCredit’s, Stefan Wittman Locations: Commerzbank, Germany's

☆ Commerzbank's CEO pick Bettina Orlopp can hit the ground running, 7Square founder says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCommerzbank's CEO pick Bettina Orlopp can hit the ground running, 7Square founder saysThomas Schweppe, the founder of 7Square and former Goldman Sachs M&A banker, discusses a potential Commerzbank and UniCredit merger and Commerzbank's proposed new CEO Bettina Orlopp.

Persons: Bettina Orlopp, Thomas Schweppe, Goldman Sachs, Commerzbank's

☆ Caught cold by UniCredit’s swoop on Commerzbank, Germany will want to avoid a national embarrassment
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A protestor holds a placard with a slogan reading "Stop Merger Horror" during a union demonstration outside the Commerzbank AG headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. It follows UniCredit's move to take a 9% stake in Commerzbank earlier this month. watch nowScholz on Monday criticized UniCredit's decision to up the ante on Commerzbank, describing the move as an "unfriendly" and "hostile" attack, Reuters reported. Commerzbank's Deputy Chair Uwe Tschaege, meanwhile, reportedly voiced opposition to a potential takeover by UniCredit on Tuesday. The Commerzbank AG headquarters, in the financial district of Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.

Persons: it's, UniCredit, Octavio Marenzi, Opimas, CNBC's, Olaf Scholz, He's, Marenzi, Scholz, UniCredit's, Uwe Tschaege, Tschaege, Andrea Orcel, Stefan Wittman, Germany's Scholz, Craig Coben, Coben, Emanuele Cremaschi Organizations: Commerzbank, Bloomberg, Getty, CNBC, Reuters, UniCredit, BBVA, Banco Sabadell, Bank of America, AG Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Berlin, Milan, Commerzbank, Spanish

☆ UniCredit's stake in Commerzbank puts Europe's vision of a banking union in focus: Analyst
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUniCredit's stake in Commerzbank puts Europe's vision of a banking union in focus: AnalystCraig Coben, former global head of equity capital markets at Bank of America, says Europe's vision of a banking union is what's at stake when it comes to discussing UniCredit's stake in Commerzbank.

Persons: Craig Coben Organizations: Bank of America Locations: Commerzbank

☆ European markets set for choppy open as growth concerns return
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tourists take pictures under the rain in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. LONDON — European stocks are expected to open in mixed territory Tuesday as economic uncertainty and concerns over Europe's growth outlook return to the fore. The U.K.'s FTSE index is expected to open 4 points higher at 8,253, Germany's DAX up 23 points at 18,852, France's CAC 40 up 19 points at 7,518 and Italy's FTSE MIB 16 points higher at 33,610, according to data from IG. Market participants will be keeping an eye on shares of Commerzbank Tuesday after the stock fell around 5.7% Monday after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized what he described as UniCredit's "hostile" and "unfriendly" move on the bank, Reuters reported. His comments came shortly after Italy's UniCredit announced it had increased its stake in the German lender to around 21% and submitted a request to boost the holding to up to 29.9%, signaling a takeover bid might be on the cards.

Persons: Germany's DAX, Olaf Scholz, Italy's UniCredit Organizations: Eiffel, LONDON, CAC, IG, Reuters Locations: Paris

☆ Commerzbank board member warns of significant job losses with a hostile UniCredit takeover
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-24 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

: The lettering "Commerzbank" can be seen on the Commerzbank Tower in the center of the banking city. Photo: Helmut Fricke/dpa (Photo by Helmut Fricke/picture alliance via Getty Images)Two-thirds of the jobs at Commerzbank could disappear if UniCredit successfully carries out a hostile takeover of the German lender, a Commerzbank supervisory board member warned on Tuesday. Stefan Wittmann, who is also a senior official at German trade union Verdi, told CNBC's Annette Weisbach that "we certainly hope we can avoid" a hostile takeover by the Italian bank. "But if it [a hostile takeover] is unavoidable, we think that two-thirds of jobs will disappear, that there will be another significant cut in the branches," he said, according to a translation. "We will see in particular that UniCredit does not want all Commerzbank customers at all, but that it focuses on the supposedly best customers, namely the wealthy customers," he added.

Persons: Helmut Fricke, UniCredit, Stefan Wittmann, Verdi, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, Witmann, Wittmann Organizations: Getty Locations: Hesse, Frankfurt, Italian, Berlin, Commerzbank

☆ UniCredit boosts its stake in Commerzbank, applies to own up to 29.9% of the German bank
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

UniCredit announced on Monday it had increased its stake in German lender Commerzbank to around 21% and submitted a request to boost the holding to up to 29.9%. The Italian bank acquired the additional Commerzbank shares through financial instruments, it said in a Monday statement. Earlier this month, UniCredit announced it had taken a 9% stake in Commerzbank, confirming that half of this shareholding was acquired from the German government. However, as was the case for UniCredit, such potential requires action for it to be crystalized," the bank said on Monday. Commerzbank shares were down 0.4% by 11:50 a.m. London time, while UniCredit shares fell 2.3%.

Persons: UniCredit, Commerzbank, Berlin Organizations: Federal Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Commerzbank, London

☆ Germany won't sell more Commerzbank shares for now, finance agency says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Germany will not sell any more shares in Commerzbank for the time being and the bank's strategy is "geared towards independence," the nation's finance agency said on Friday. The statement comes days after the Italian bank UniCredit announced it had bought a 9% stake in Commerzbank - from the German government as well as on the open market - and its chief executive said he wanted to explore a merger. The agency announced that at a meeting on Friday it decided it "will not, until further notice, sell any additional shares".

Organizations: UniCredit Locations: Germany, Commerzbank

☆ What buying Commerzbank would mean for UniCredit — and the banking sector
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-19 | by ( April Roach | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Last week, UniCredit announced it had taken a 9% stake in Commerzbank, confirming that half of this shareholding was acquired from the government. Commerzbank shares jumped 20% on the day UniCredit's stake was announced. A cross-border styled merger between UniCredit and Commerzbank would be more preferential than a domestic merger between Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank, according to Reint Gropp, president of the Hall Institute for Economic Research. "The German banking structure is long overdue for a consolidation process. The German bank also has less excess capital than UniCredit and therefore "cannot really afford" a takeover, Alloatti said.

Persons: Kirill Kudryavtsev, UniCredit, Andrea Orcel, Commerzbank, Orcel, Ignacio Cerezo, Berenberg, David Benamou, Benamou, CNBC's, Arnaud Journois, Journois, Emmanuel Macron, Reint Gropp, Gropp, Filippo Alloatti, Hermes, Alloatti, We've Organizations: Afp, Getty, Bloomberg, Reuters, UniCredit, Wednesday, UBS, Investments, European, Morningstar, Commerzbank, Analysts, CNBC, Deutsche Bank, Hall Institute for Economic Research, Will Deutsche Bank, ABN Amro Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Commerzbank, Berlin, Italian, U.S, Europe, UniCredit, Italy

☆ UniCredit's bid for Commerzbank is next 'logical step' for the bank's strategy, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailUniCredit's bid for Commerzbank is next 'logical step' for the bank's strategy, analyst saysArnaud Journois, senior vice president of European Financial Institution Ratings at Morningstar DBRS, says there is "double logic" behind UniCredit's bid for Commerzbank as the Italian lender seeks to grow its business.

Persons: Arnaud Journois, Morningstar DBRS Organizations: Commerzbank, European, Morningstar

☆ ECB has no grounds to block UniCredit's higher Commerzbank stake: Federated Hermes
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailECB has no grounds to block UniCredit's higher Commerzbank stake: Federated HermesFilippo Alloatti, head of financials in the credit team at Federated Hermes, discusses Italian bank UniCredit's request to raise its stake in Commerzbank.

Persons: Hermes Filippo Alloatti Organizations: ECB, Federated Hermes Locations: Commerzbank

☆ UniCredit's Andrea Orcel plays a bold hand, with Commerzbank in his sights
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

UniCredit 's CEO Andrea Orcel revealed his hand this week as the Italian lender built a 9% stake in Commerzbank — and a takeover bid for the German rival could still be in the cards. UniCredit faces a number of hurdles before increasing its stake after filing a request to "potentially exceed 9.9% of Commerzbank if and when necessary." Commerzbank shares soared on Wednesday when news of UniCredit's position was announced, and compounded gains on Thursday following speculation of an imminent takeover. Whispers cooled in January, however, when Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing said that merger and acquisition activity was not a priority for the group at the time. A UniCredit takeover of Commerzbank would emerge as a rare, if long-awaited, instance of consolidation among Europe's banking titans.

Persons: UniCredit, Andrea Orcel, Orcel, it's, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing Organizations: Bloomberg, HypoVereinsbank, Alpha Bank, Hellenic Financial Stability, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian, Commerzbank, titans Locations: Commerzbank, Germany, Munich

☆ Commerzbank shares jump 17% after UniCredit buys 4.5% stake from the German government
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-11 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Commerzbank shares jumped on market open on Wednesday, after Italian bank UniCredit acquired a 4.5% stake in the Frankfurt-based lender from the German government. Commerzbank stock was up 17.5% at 9:37 a.m. London time. The stake acquisition marks the first step in Berlin's exit from its position in the German lender. The German government said it had sold around 53.1 million shares — or a roughly 4.49% tranche out of its 16.49% total shareholding — in Commerzbank for roughly 702 million euros ($775 million) to UniCredit. Also on Wednesday, the German lender said Commerzbank chief Manfred Knof will fulfil but not seek to renew his term after the end of his contract in December 2025.

Persons: Commerzbank, Eva Grunwald, UniCredit, Manfred Knof Organizations: UniCredit, Bank, CNBC Locations: Frankfurt, London, Commerzbank, Berlin, Milan

Search resuls for: "Commerzbank"

25 mentions found