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☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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 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

☆ Commerzbank seeks wealth fund investor in Asia, Mideast- Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo of the bank is seen next to the headquarters of Commerzbank one day ahead of the bank's rejoinment to Germany's share price index DAX in Frankfurt, Germany, February 26, 2023. The German bank is talking to sovereign wealth funds about becoming an anchor investor to shore up its defenses against any opportunistic takeover bid and preserve its independence, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter. The bank has also discussed internally the prospect and implications of the German government selling down its stake, the report said. Commerzbank did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Editing by Jane MerrimanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: DAX, Kai Pfaffenbach, Manfred Knof, Commerzbank, Gursimran Kaur, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Asia, Bengaluru

The inflation rate fell to 2.3% in November. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected inflation to ease to 2.6%. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, fell to 3.8% in November from 4.3% the previous month. "But the inflation rate will fall to below 3% as early as the beginning of next year," Wollmershaeuser said. Economists pay close attention to German inflation data, as Germany publishes its figures one day before the euro zone inflation data release.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Timo Wollmershaeuser, Wollmershaeuser, Commerzbank's, Ralph Solveen, Solveen, Bert Colijn, Colijn, Miranda Murray, Maria Martinez, Linda Pasquini, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Union, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Spanish

OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia, is due to hold an online ministerial meeting on Thursday to discuss 2024 production targets. The market tumbled last week when OPEC+ pushed back the original date for its meeting to iron out differences on production targets for African producers. "According to delegates, Saudi Arabia is demanding lower production quotas from the other OPEC+ countries. Oil also found support from a weak dollar, an expected decline in U.S. crude inventories and the drop in Kazakh output. A weaker dollar typically bolsters oil demand, making dollar-denominated oil less expensive for buyers using other currencies.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Waller, Phil Flynn, Commerzbank's Carsten Fritsch, Christopher Waller, Stephanie Kelly, Alex Lawler, Natalie Grover, Kim Coghill, David Goodman, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Brent, . West Texas, Organization of, Petroleum, Price Futures Group, United, Reuters, American Petroleum Institute, The U.S, Federal, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, Russia, Chicago, Angola, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates

The economy and finance ministry declined immediate comment. "So the ruling could have a negative impact on economic growth," the source added. Last month, the economy ministry predicted 1.3% growth for next year. Although the Greens want additional spending, the Free Democrats (FDP), which heads the finance ministry, reject additional debt and higher taxes. "There is a clear political decision in favour of Intel and nothing has changed yet," said an economy ministry spokesperson on Friday.

Persons: Liesa, Olaf Scholz's, Christian Lindner, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Joerg Kraemer, Robert Habeck, Habeck, Friedrich Merz, Christian Haase, Commerzbank's Kraemer, Maria Martinez, Andreas Rinke, Holger Hansen, Christian Kraemer, Madeline Chambers, Matthias Williams, Clarence Fernandez, Gerry Doyle, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thursday, Greens, Free Democrats, Transformation, Intel, U.S, Christian Democratic Union, ESF, Economic, Stabilization, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Europe's

☆ Germany's budget committee pauses 2024 budget deliberations -panel members
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Maria Martinez | Thomson Reuters | Maria Martinez Is A Reuters Correspondent In Berlin Covering German Economics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Germany's budget committee paused final deliberations on the 2024 draft budget early on Friday morning, according to the chief budget officers of the coalition government, after a constitutional court ruling threw negotiations into disarray. The contents of the ministries' budgets were finalised during the committee meeting, the budget officers said. On Wednesday, the constitutional court decision prompted the government to postpone the formal vote of the budget committee until next Thursday. Despite the court ruling, the 2024 budget is expected to be passed as planned at the end of the Bundestag's budget week on Dec. 1, according to members of the budget committee. The chief budget officers of the coalition government accused the opposition of refusing to cooperate in budget deliberations.

Persons: Liesa, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Joerg Kraemer, Friedrich Merz, Commerzbank's Kraemer, Maria Martinez, Holger Hansen, Clarence Fernandez, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Greens, Free Democrats, European Commission, dpa, Bundestag's Energy, CDU, CSU, Christian Democratic Union, ESF, Economic, Stabilization, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Ukraine

[1/3] FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looks on as he meets NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Berlin, Germany, November 9, 2023. Wednesday's decision by the constitutional court could also set a precedent for fiscal responses to future crises. "FAR-REACHING CONSEQUENCES""The court ruling has far-reaching consequences for fiscal policy in Germany," said Clemens Fuest, President of the Ifo economic institute. This was done with the Second Supplementary Budget Act 2021, which retroactively amended the Budget Act for 2021. The constitutional court ruled that this act was incompatible with Germany's Basic Law and so was void.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Jens Stoltenberg, Liesa, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's, Christian Lindner, Lindner, Scholz, Robert Habeck, Clemens Fuest, Ralph Solveen, Habeck, Friedrich Merz, Maria Martinez, Christian Kraemer, Ursula Knapp, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Madeline Chambers, Susan Fenton, William Maclean, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Finance, Union, Social Democrats, Free Democrats, Christian Democratic Union, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, Ukraine

☆ mBank CEO doesn't see end of provisioning for Swiss franc mortgages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Commerzbank's Polish unit mBank's logo is seen in Warsaw, Poland, May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsGDANSK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Polish lender mBank's (MBK.WA) CEO Cezary Stypulkowski on Tuesday said he did not see the end of provisioning for legal risks related to Swiss franc mortgages, adding the scale of the issue was difficult to predict. Stypulkowski did not give any timeline on when the situation might be solved. The bank's provisions for legal risk of foreign currency loans were 1.08 billion zlotys ($258.84 million) in the third quarter, compared with 2.31 billion zlotys a year earlier. ($1 = 4.1724 zlotys)Reporting by Mateusz Rabiega; editing by Milla NissiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kacper, Cezary Stypulkowski, Stypulkowski, Mateusz, Milla Nissi Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, GDANSK

Looking ahead, the ongoing pass-through of the European Central Bank's monetary policy tightening, still no reversal of the inventory cycle and new geopolitical uncertainties will continue weighing on the German economy, Brzeski said. "The German economy looks set to remain in the twilight zone between minor contraction and stagnation not only this year but also next year," Brzeski said. The contraction in the third quarter is not seen as an outlier as Commerzbank expects the German economy to contract again in the winter half-year. Economists will pay close attention to national inflation data from Germany and Spain, as they are published one day before the euro zone inflation data release. Euro zone inflation is expected to ease to 3.2% in October from 4.3% in September, according to economists polled by Reuters.

Persons: Arnd, Carsten Brzeski, Brzeski, optimists, Joerg Kraemer, Claus Vistesen, Maria Martinez, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Miral Fahmy, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Gross, Reuters, ING, European Central, Macroeconomics, Thomson Locations: Konstanz, Germany, Spain

[1/2] A BNY Mellon sign is seen on their headquarters in New York's financial district, January 19, 2011. A lawyer for BNY Mellon also declined to comment. They have long said their contracts shielded them from liability for RMBS losses, and that particularly sophisticated investors should have known the risks. In its December 2015 complaint, Commerzbank accused BNY Mellon of sitting "idly" as losses piled up, rather than force lenders to buy back and servicers to address troubled loans. The case is Commerzbank AG v. The Bank of New York Mellon et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Germany's, George Daniels, Commerzbank's, Dave Wollmuth, BNY Mellon, Commerzbank, Daniels, The Bank of New York Mellon, Jonathan Stempel, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of New York Mellon, District, BNY Mellon, Countrywide, NovaStar, BNY, New York, CDO, Commerzbank, The Bank of New York, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: New, U.S, Manhattan, Barrington, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

☆ Analysis: China's importance to German exporters on the wane
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China's emergence as a market economy in the 2000s provided a massive boost to German companies and has proved a big contributor to the overall health of the German economy since. That China is increasingly able to produce goods it previously bought from Germany is weighing on German exports, Brzeski noted. However, the dependence of many companies on the Chinese market will no longer be so visible in export figures, but in their balance sheets," Stamer said. For example, many German carmakers are increasingly producing locally for the Chinese market. Weaker demand from China has had a strong impact on the German manufacturing sector.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Joerg Kraemer, Carsten Brzeski, Brzeski, Vincent Stamer, Stamer, Rene Wagner, Maria Martinez, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, ING, Reuters Graphics Germany, Kiel Institute, PMI, Thomson Locations: Bremerhaven, Germany, China, BERLIN, Berlin, Beijing, U.S, United States

☆ Poland's mBank hopes to offer 2% mortgage loan in September
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Commerzbank's Polish unit mBank's logo is seen in Warsaw, Poland, May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File PhotoGDANSK, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Poland's mBank (MBK.WA) expects a drop in write-offs in future quarters from those in the second quarter, its chief executive said on Wednesday. CEO Cezary Stypulkowski also said the bank hopes to offer 2% mortgage loans in September, a special product with state subsidised instalments. We hope that in September we will be able operationally to offer the loan," said Stypulkowski. He added that for the bank's customers, this is an important product to offer.

Persons: Kacper, Cezary Stypulkowski, homebuyers, Anna Banacka, Louise Heavens, Jason Neely Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, GDANSK

Summary German inflation falls modestly in JulyStronger declines expected starting in SeptemberCore inflation easesBERLIN, July 28 (Reuters) - German inflation fell in July, resuming the decline since the start of the year that was interrupted the previous month due to the base effects in June's data. Although inflation fell in July, economists called the pace of decline sluggish mainly due to the comparison with last year. By comparison, inflation fell to 5.0% in France and it rose to 2.1% in Spain. Italian and euro zone inflation data is due on Monday. Economists polled by Reuters expect euro zone inflation to fall to 5.2% in July from 5.5% in June.

Persons: Ralph Solveen, Thomas Gitzel, Maria Martinez, Miranda Murray, Rachel More, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Union, Analysts, Reuters, European Central Bank, VP Bank Group, ECB, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, France, Spain, Germany

That will leave investors guessing whether another rate hike is coming in September or if July marks the end of the ECB's fastest-ever tightening spree. While markets had fully priced in another rate hike just a few weeks ago, investors are now split, with many expecting July's move to be the last. "We see a 60% probability that the ECB will hike again by a final 25bp on 14 September," Berenberg's Salomon Fiedler said. "Softer data such as the drop in the Eurozone composite PMI indicate a rising chance that the central bank will stay put in September already." This is a key reason why the balance of expectations has started to shift away from another rate hike, with economists increasingly focusing on how long rates will stay high.

Persons: July's, Berenberg's Salomon Fiedler, Isabel Schnabel, Jerome Powell, Anatoli Annenkov, Christine Lagarde, Commerzbank's Marco Wagner, Catherine Evans Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, PMI, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT

☆ German inflation bucks downward trend in June with higher-than-expected rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Maria Martinez | Thomson Reuters | Maria Martinez Is A Reuters Correspondent In Berlin Covering German Economics | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

French and euro zone inflation data is due on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters expect euro zone inflation to fall to 5.6% in June from 6.1% in May. "The June figures in Germany only interrupt the downward trend in the inflation rate and do not mark its end," said Ralph Solveen, senior economist at Commerzbank. Non-harmonized consumer prices rose 6.4% in June year-on-year, following a 6.1% rise in the previous month. The year-on-year rebound in German inflation midway through the second quarter is almost exclusively due to base effects from last year's temporarily-reduced rail fare, said Claus Vistesen, chief eurozone economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Persons: Analysts, Ralph Solveen, year's, Claus Vistesen, Carsten Brzeski, Commerzbank's Solveen, Brzeski, Maria Martinez, Friederike Heine, Miranda Murray, Angus MacSwan, Conor Humphries Organizations: Union, Reuters, Commerzbank, Pantheon, European Central Bank, ING, Economists, ECB, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Spain, Italy, Germany

☆ Drop in German business morale points to longer recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Business climate index fell to 88.5 in June from 91.5 in MayBoth business expectations and current business conditions fellProbability of longer recession risesBERLIN, June 26 (Reuters) - German business morale worsened for the second consecutive month in June, a survey showed on Monday, indicating that Europe's largest economy faces an uphill battle to shake off recession. "Sentiment in the German economy has clouded over noticeably," Ifo's president Clemens Fuest said. Indeed, expectations were much more pessimistic, with the related Ifo index falling to 83.6 from May's 88.3. "The probability has increased that gross domestic product will also shrink in the second quarter," he said. "We feel confirmed in our forecast that the German economy will shrink again in the second half of the year," Commerzbank's chief economist Joerg Kraemer said.

Persons: Clemens Fuest, Carsten Brzeski, Brzeski, Klaus Wohlrabe, Urban, Franziska Palmas, Joerg Kraemer, Maria Martinez, Rene Wagner, Friederike Heine, Matthias Williams, Hugh Lawson Organizations: ING, Companies, Reuters, Oxford Economics, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, U.S, Germany, German, Europe

BERLIN, June 7 (Reuters) - German industrial output rose less than expected in April, darkening the outlook for the euro zone's largest economy following weak new orders data earlier this week. The statistics office revised up the industrial production figure for March to a 2.1% decrease from a provisional figure of a 3.4% fall. Even with this revision, German industrial production is 1.6% below its level a year earlier. Data on Tuesday showed industrial orders fell by 0.4% in the month of April. "Without any significant pick up in activity, the German economy's recession could continue in the second quarter," ING's global head of macro Carsten Brzeski said.

Persons: Andrew Kenningham, Kenningham, April's, Commerzbank's, Ralph Solveen, Solveen, Carsten Brzeski, Anastasiia Kozlova, Maria Martinez, Miranda Murray, Christina Fincher Organizations: Companies, Thomson Locations: BERLIN, Europe, China, United States

"Germans are cautious by nature," said Stephan Fetsch, Germany's head of consumer goods at KPMG. Economists polled by Reuters are split on its second quarter fortunes: views ranged from a 0.3% GDP fall to a 0.5% gain, with a median forecast of 0.2% growth. However, German consumer sentiment remains below its pandemic low in the spring of 2020 and the consumer barometer from the German Retail Association (HDE) shows a similar picture. German consumers were hit particularly hard by high energy prices, being more dependent on Russia gas. "The German consumer has reasons to be scared and the result of all the economic uncertainty is usually an increase in precautionary savings," said Michael Burda, economics professor at Humboldt University Berlin.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Germany's, Stephan Fetsch, Holger Schmieding, Carsten Brzeski, KPMG's Fetsch, Joerg Kraemer, Michael Burda, Brzeski, Maria Martinez, Prerana Bhat, Indradip Ghosh, Mark John, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, KPMG, Reuters, German Retail Association, Berenberg, ING, European Central Bank, Humboldt University Berlin, Thomson Locations: Cologne, Germany, BERLIN, Europe, France, Italy, Russia, Berlin, China, Bengaluru

BERLIN, May 8 (Reuters) - German industrial production fell more than expected in March, partly due to a weak performance by the automotive sector, spurring again recession fears in Europe's largest economy. Production decreased by 3.4% on the previous month following a slightly revised increase of 2.1% in February, the federal statistical office said on Monday. "After a buoyant performance by industrial production at the beginning of the year, there was an unexpectedly sharp decline in March," the economics ministry said. In the first quarter, production was 2.5% higher than in the last quarter of 2022, according to the statistics office. GDP was unchanged quarter on quarter in adjusted terms in the first quarter, following a 0.5% contraction in the fourth quarter of 2022.

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