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☆ Allianz retains full-year outlook despite 30% slump in Q3 profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of insurer Allianz SE is seen on the company building in Puteaux at the financial and business district of La Defense near Paris, outside Paris, France, May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Germany's Allianz (ALVG.DE) on Friday posted a 30% fall in its third-quarter net profit, dragged down by claims from natural catastrophes, although the financial services company maintained its full-year profit outlook. Net profit attributable to shareholders of 2.021 billion euros ($2.16 billion) in the three-month period ended September, compared with 2.866 billion euros a year earlier. Allianz, one of Europe's largest financial services groups, described the level of claims as "exceptionally high". Still, the company stuck to its target of 2023 operating profit between 13.2 billion and 15.2 billion euros.

Persons: Charles Platiau, Tom Sims, Christina Amann, Linda Pasquini, Miranda Murray, Sherry Jacob, Phillips Organizations: Allianz, La Defense, REUTERS, Rights, Germany's Allianz, Thomson Locations: Puteaux, La, Paris, France, Ukraine, Continental Europe, Germany, Italy, Austria

☆ UniCredit, RBI among banks on hook for $2.4 bln in Signa loans -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RBI, which the person said had sharply reduced its exposure to the Signa group in recent years, declined to comment on Thursday. The European Central Bank (ECB), which supervises the banks, declined to comment. Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederoesterreich-Wien, Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberoesterreich and Erste Group are also among the banks with exposures to Signa, the person said. The other two Austrian banks declined to comment. A spokesperson for Austria's central bank said it had no concerns about the country's financial stability, when asked about Signa's financial position.

Persons: UniCredit, Signa, Rene Benko, Fitch, Landesbank, Banks, Arndt Geiwitz, Francesco Canepa, Tom Sims, Elisa Martinuzzi, Alexander Smith Organizations: Signa Group, Chrysler, Raiffeisen Bank, Bank, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, Erste Group, Erste, Austria's National Bank, Market Authority, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Banks, Austria, Bank Austria, Wien

☆ Russia's VTB in Europe changes name as it liquidates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of VTB bank is seen on the bank's headquarters in Tehran, Iran, May 23, 2023. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, VTB in Europe attracted tens of thousands of German savers with its relatively high interest rates and marketed itself as a sponsor of Frankfurt's ice hockey team, the Lions. But after the war began, savers withdrew their money, resulting in a bank run and prompting regulators to manage the outflow. VTB in Russia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Direktbank division that served retail savers has closed with its last customer - who used VTB for a deposit for a garden shed.

Persons: Majid Asgaripour, Russia's, Frank Hellwig, VTB, Hellwig, Miro Zadro, Tom Sims, John O'Donnell, Alexander Marrow, Barbara Lewis Organizations: West Asia News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Lions, savers, Thomson Locations: Tehran, Iran, Frankfurt, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, VTB, Ost, West

☆ Signa founder Benko hands reins of property empire to Geiwitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the sign of Signa Holding on their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 6, 2023. Benko, an Austrian entrepreneur and a key figure in Europe's property market for two decades, is known for high-profile purchases including New York's iconic Chrysler Building and Britain's Selfridges. Some current and former investors - themselves titans of industry - have in recent days publicly lashed out at Benko, raising questions about his future role at Signa. What is important now is to restore trust, and I want to play my part in that," Benko said in the statement. Geiwitz is best known for his role in the insolvency proceedings of Germany's Galeria Kaufhof-Karstadt department stores and drug store chain Schlecker.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Rene Benko, Arndt Geiwitz, Fitch, Benko, Signa, Geiwitz, Germany's Galeria, Alexandra Schwarz, Tom Sims, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Rights, Chrysler, titans, Germany's, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, FRANKFURT, Germany, Austrian, Benko

☆ Hamburg Airport Remains Closed as Police Deal With 'Hostage Situation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Hamburg airport remained closed on Sunday, authorities said, as police dealt with a hostage situation they say likely involves a custody dispute. The airport closed for all takeoffs and landings on Saturday evening after police arrived in large numbers on the scene to deal with a man who drove through a barrier onto the grounds of the airport with a child. The car with the 35-year-old man and 4-year-old child was parked under a plane, a police spokesperson said. Police would not confirm their earlier statements that the man was armed and had fired shots. (Reporting by Joern Poltz and Tom Sims in Frankfurt; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Matthew Lewis, Daniel Wallis and William Mallard)

Persons: Joern Poltz, Tom Sims, Andrew Heavens, Matthew Lewis, Daniel Wallis, William Mallard Organizations: Twitter, Police Locations: FRANKFURT, Hamburg, Frankfurt

☆ Hamburg airport hostage standoff over, suspect arrested, police say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Police arrested a man and rescued a child at the centre of a hostage standoff at Hamburg airport on Sunday, ending a crisis that had forced authorities to close the busy air hub. Police said the 35-year-old man was with his four-year-old daughter and was thought to be involved in a custody dispute. "The hostage situation is over," the city's police force wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, early on Sunday afternoon. [1/8]Police officers detain a man, after a man drove through a barrier onto the grounds of the city's airport with a child in his car in Hamburg, Germany, November 5, 2023. The episode raised concerns over security at the airport less than four months after climate activists got onto the runway and blocked planes.

Persons: Fabian Bimmer, Peter Tschentscher, Tom Sims, Joern Poltz, Tanya Wood, Daniel Wallis, William Mallard, David Evans, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Police, Twitter, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Hamburg, Germany

☆ China EV maker BYD to build first Europe plant in Hungary -FAS
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies BYD Co Ltd FollowFRANKFURT, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD (002594.SZ), plans to build its first European car factory in Hungary, a German newspaper reported on Saturday. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS), citing unnamed sources close to BYD, said the decision had already been made internally. A government website in Shenzhen, where BYD is headquartered, posted an article last month saying that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu on a visit to the company. BYD, contacted by Reuters, said that it was still looking for the right location and would make an announcement at the end of the year. Reporting by Brenda Goh, Jason Xue, Krisztina Than, and Tom Sims; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Wang Chuanfu, Brenda Goh, Jason Xue, Tom Sims, Jason Neely Organizations: BYD, FRANKFURT, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Hungary, BYD, Shenzhen, Hungarian

[1/4] View of the construction site of the Elbtower building, owned by Rene Benko’s Signa and a Commerzbank subsidiary, in Hamburg Germany, November 2, 2023. Signa, the Austrian property giant and an owner of New York's Chrysler Building, had been making steady progress this year on the planned 64-story Elbtower skyscraper in Hamburg. But Signa, founded by René Benko, has fallen behind on its payments to its builder, Lupp, an executive of the construction firm said. The city of Hamburg and a minority investor, the real-estate subsidiary of Germany's Commerzbank (CBKG.DE), confirmed the stoppage. It has also prompted warnings from city officials, and is another indicator of troubles hitting the property sector in Europe's largest economy.

Persons: Rene Benko’s Signa, Fabian Bimmer, René Benko, Matthias Kaufmann, Signa, Germany's, Aon, Timo Herzberg, Karen Pein, Tom Sims Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Chrysler, Reuters, City, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Hamburg Germany, Austrian, Hamburg, Europe's, HafenCity, City of Hamburg

[1/2] The logo of Deutsche Bank is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) employee representatives on Tuesday harshly criticized the bank's plans to slash its Postbank branch network, saying the move sends the wrong signal and comes at the wrong time. The reputation of the Postbank brand is severely damaged... and now the bank is starting a new construction project." Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsClaudio de Sanctis, the new Deutsche Bank board member overseeing the lender's retail operations, in a staff memo on Monday laid out his vision for Postbank becoming a "mobile-first" bank. Deutsche Bank said that talks with employee representatives would take place soon to determine final details on the cuts.

Persons: Yves Herman, Jan Duscheck, Susanne Bleidt, Claudio de Sanctis, Tom Sims, Rachel More, Emelia Organizations: Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Deutsche, Verdi, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium

[1/2] People are silhouetted next to the Deutsche Bank's logo prior to the bank's annual meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, May 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Shares up 7%Investment bank revenue declinesRevenue at retail and corporate divisions riseSlightly more optimistic on 2023 revenueForecasts buybacks in 2024, flags greater capital returnFRANKFURT, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) on Wednesday promised more share buybacks next year and said it may return more capital to shareholders than it had previously envisaged, causing its shares to surge. Revenue from investment banking slumped but grew in the lender's retail and corporate divisions on higher interest rates. Deutsche Bank shares were up 7% in morning Frankfurt trade as analysts cited positive news on potential buybacks and dividends. Though earnings dropped, Deutsche recorded its 13th consecutive profitable quarter, a notable streak after years of hefty losses.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Deutsche, James von Moltke, Mediobanca, Sewing, JPMorgan's, Tom Sims, Frank Siebelt, Jamie Freed, Jason Neely Organizations: Deutsche, REUTERS, Deutsche Bank, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters Graphics Reuters Graphics Investment, Revenue, Goldman, Barclays, RBC, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, FRANKFURT

☆ Deutsche Bank sets aside $273 mln provision for Gazprom subsidiary's Russian lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) said on Wednesday that it had set aside a 258 million euro ($272.84 million) provision in the third quarter related to lawsuits by a subsidiary of Russian gas giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM). RusKhimAlyans, which is 50% owned by Gazprom, has filed lawsuits seeking a total of 31 billion roubles ($348 million) from Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and Commerzbank (CBKG.DE), Russian court documents show. Deutsche Bank said in its quarterly report that the bank has been unable to make the payment due to EU sanctions against Russia. Deutsche Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights"The Russian court is expected to not recognize the EU sanctions as a basis for not making payment," Deutsche Bank said in explaining the provision.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Deutsche, Tom Sims, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Deutsche Bank, Gazprom, Russia, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT

The logo of Deutsche Bank is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Deutsche Bank AG FollowFRANKFURT, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Customers of two Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) units have lodged a surge in complaints with Germany's consumer protection agency, the advocacy group said on Monday, as the banking giant scrambles to make good with aggravated clients. The VZBZ consumer group said it had registered about 1,700 complaints by customers of Deutsche's Postbank arm and its mortgage division in the year through September. The consumer group had already reported complaints of Postbank customers not having access to their funds for weeks and direct debits getting rejected, jeopardising their credit scores. BaFin got nearly 10,000 complaints about Postbank by early September, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Persons: Yves Herman, VZBZ, Ramona Pop, BaFin, Sewing, Tom Sims, Rod Nickel Organizations: Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Companies Deutsche Bank, FRANKFURT, Deutsche, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Germany's, Postbank

☆ Deutsche Bahn to announce deal to sell Arriva to I Squared on Thursday -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Parked busses are seen at an Arriva bus bepot in Harlow as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Harlow, Britain, April 3, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bahn plans to announce on Thursday the sale of its international transport business Arriva to Miami-based infrastructure investor I Squared Capital, sources told Reuters. The two parties will sign the deal by Thursday, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Reuters had already reported last week that the sale, at around 1.6 billion euros ($1.69 billion) including debt, would be finalised as early as Monday. ($1 = 0.9491 euros)Reporting by Markus Wacket and Emma-Victoria Farr; writing by Tom Sims; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Couldridge, Markus Wacket, Victoria Farr, Tom Sims, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Arriva, REUTERS, Rights, Deutsche Bahn, Squared, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Harlow, Britain, Miami

Germany's property sector is in stress, underscoring a major change of fortune for real estate in Europe's largest economy after an end to the era of cheap money. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Oct. 13 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing fresh demands to stem a property crisis in Europe's largest economy after a recent summit aimed at rescuing the sector disbanded in acrimony. The industry's demands reflect alarm that Germany is being sucked further into a global property rout that has been most acutely felt in China. There is also concern that the government is dragging its feet after a contentious industry meeting with the chancellor on Sept. 25. The number of people employed in the building sector has begun to drop for the first time in a decade.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Olaf Scholz, Wolfgang Schubert, Raab, Schubert, Nicole Razavi, Scholz, Francesco Fedele, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, chancellery, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Germany's, Europe's, China, Razavi, United States

☆ ECB policymakers eye springtime push to cut payments on banks' deposits, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MARRAKECH, Oct 13 (Reuters) - European Central Bank policymakers are planning a springtime push to cut interest payments made to commercial banks, in part to recoup some of the costs associated with a decade worth of stimulus, sources familiar with discussions said. That would mean overall interest payments to lenders - which still earn the ECB deposit rate, currently 4%, on other excess cash parked with the central bank - would be reduced further. But the ECB rejected the proposal in July, partly on resistance from its Executive Board, the sources said. The board's key argument is that excess liquidity is distributed unevenly across the euro zone and raising the ratio would put an excessive burden on smaller banks with a larger portion of deposits. Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing argued that the change would add to banks' financial burdens and restrict their lending options.

Persons: Bundesbank, Joachim Nagel, Robert Holzmann, Latvia's Martin Kazaks, Isabel Schnabel, Austria's Holzmann, France's Francois Villeroy de, Pierre Wunsch, We're, Schnabel, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing, Tom Sims, John Stonestreet Organizations: Central Bank, ECB, Austrian, Barclays, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH

☆ At Allianz, CEO stays but CFO goes
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Allianz is seen on a building in Paris, France, April 30, 2020. Baete, whose contract was extended to 2028, said: "I thank the Supervisory Board for their confidence and support." Chief Financial Officer Giulio Terzariol is leaving to head the insurance division at Generali, the Italian company announced on Monday. Allianz has appointed Claire-Marie Coste-Lepoutre to succeed him as finance chief. Coste-Lepoutre is a French national who has been with Allianz since 2011, with previous stints at Swiss Re, SCOR and McKinsey.

Persons: Charles Platiau, Oliver Baete, Baete, Giulio Terzariol, Claire, Marie Coste, Lepoutre, Tom Sims, Alexander Huebner, Miranda Murray Organizations: Allianz, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . Department of Justice, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Board, Monday, Swiss, SCOR, McKinsey, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, U.S, Generali, Italian, French

☆ Exclusive: Germany scraps plans for more stringent building standards to prop up industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Christian Kraemer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The German government will put on indefinite hold plans to require more stringent building insulation standards, environment minister Robert Habeck told Reuters, an effort to help prop up the ailing building industry. The about-face from the German government comes ahead of a closely watched meeting between the building industry and government leaders with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday to address a major slump in the sector. Abolition of the insulation standards has been a top demand of industry, which says the measures are too expensive and put a further damper on the depressed construction industry. "High interest rates and inflation are a heavy burden for the construction industry," Habeck told Reuters, noting that the insulation measures now "can wait". For years, low interest rates fuelled a global boom, igniting interest in German property, seen as safe and stable as the country.

Persons: Michele Tantussi, Robert Habeck, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Habeck, Christian Kraemer, Tom Sims, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Reuters Graphics Germany, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, United States, Sweden, China, Monday's

☆ Germany's Scholz asks Poland to clarify cash-for-visas affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses a ministerial level meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the crisis in Ukraine at U.N. headquarters in New York, September 20, 2023. Arrivals to Poland could easily cross into other European Union countries given that borders are open. "The visa scandal that is taking place in Poland needs to be clarified," Scholz said on Saturday at an event. Scholz hinted that Germany could take steps to control the border with Poland. In recent years, Germany has already coped with floods of migrants and asylum seekers from Syria and Ukraine.

Persons: Germany's, Olaf Scholz, Brendan McDermid, Scholz, Nancy Faeser, Zbigniew Rau, Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Andreas Rinke, Tom Sims, Clelia Organizations: United Nations Security Council, REUTERS, Rights, Union, Polish, Home Affairs, EU, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.N, New York, Polish, Germany, Poland, Syria

☆ Germany's Scholz Asks Poland to Clarify Cash-For-Visas Affair
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on the Polish government to clarify allegations about a cash-for-visas deal for migrants that has roiled Polish politics, as a debate about immigration heats up in Germany. Arrivals to Poland could easily cross into other European Union countries given that borders are open. "The visa scandal that is taking place in Poland needs to be clarified," Scholz said on Saturday at an event. Scholz hinted that Germany could take steps to control the border with Poland. In recent years, Germany has already coped with floods of migrants and asylum seekers from Syria and Ukraine.

Persons: Olaf Scholz, Scholz, Nancy Faeser, Zbigniew Rau, Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Andreas Rinke, Tom Sims, Clelia Oziel Organizations: BERLIN, Union, Polish, Home Affairs, EU Locations: Polish, Germany, Poland, Syria, Ukraine

☆ Commerzbank shares fall after report on strategy review
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Shares of Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) were down 3.4% late on Friday after a German newspaper reported details of the lender's new strategy plans to be announced in November. Shares of the bank were down by only around 0.4% before publication of the report. It plans to announce its strategy review on Nov. 8. Like many banks, Commerzbank has been benefiting from a rise in interest rates and the income that generates. Reuters GraphicsThe bank's chief executive Manfred Knof said this week that the main focus of the new strategy would be growth in its customer business.

Persons: DAX, Kai Pfaffenbach, Commerzbank, Manfred Knof, Bettina Orlopp, Tom Sims, Rachel More, Friederike Heine, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Commerzbank

☆ Deutsche Bank to see 'normalization' in FIC business in Q3, CFO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Deutsche Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) will see a "normalisation" of its fixed income and currency trading business in the third quarter from a strong performance a year ago, the lender's finance chief James von Moltke said on Thursday. The business makes up a big chunk of the investment banking revenue at Germany's largest bank. Reporting by Tom Sims, Editing by Rachel MoreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, James von Moltke, Tom Sims, Rachel More Organizations: Deutsche Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson

☆ Prominent German banker on trial in giant tax fraud scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Christian Olearius, former CEO of Warburg Bank looks on as he arrives for Cum-Ex tax fraud trial, at a regional court, in Bonn, Germany, September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay Acquire Licensing RightsBONN, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A top German banker went on trial on Monday accused of playing a role in a multibillion-euro German tax fraud scheme that has ensnared scores of domestic and global banks and hundreds of individuals. The trial that began on Monday in Bonn involves Christian Olearius, the 81-year-old former CEO and chair of the Hamburg-based bank M.M. Prosecutor Stephanie Kerkering told the court that Olearius had conspired with others inside and outside Warburg to engage in the transactions. Earlier this year, a tax lawyer alleged to have masterminded the fraud received a second eight-year jail sentence, the longest to date.

Persons: Olearius, Wolfgang Rattay, Christian Olearius, M.M . Warburg, Stephanie Kerkering, Warburg, Olaf Scholz, Matthias Inverardi, Tom Sims, Friederike Heine, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Warburg Bank, REUTERS, Rights, M.M, Warburg, Thomson Locations: Bonn, Germany, Rights BONN, German, Hamburg, M.M ., Warburg

For years, low interest rates fuelled a global boom, igniting interest in German property, seen as safe and stable as the country. The health of Germany's property sector - Europe's biggest property investment market outside of Britain - is critical, making up roughly a fifth of output and providing one in 10 jobs. Late last year, Hoeglmaier put his penthouse on the market, and Euroboden closed its Frankfurt office. In 2020, as the property market heated up, the Bundesbank warned the country's banks, for whom property accounted for about 70% of all domestic loans, of the risks. The 380-square meter (4,090 square foot) penthouse, which occupies the fifth through seventh floors and includes a rooftop terrace, originally listed for just under 13 million euros.

Persons: Leonhard Simon, Stefan Hoeglmaier, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Tillmann Peeters, Hoeglmaier, Oscar Loya –, –, Euroboden, Daniel Bauer ,, Oliver Schartl, Loya, Christoph Niering, Matthias Inverardi, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, FalkenSteg, European Central Bank, Reuters, Facebook, Garden, Graphics, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Europe's, Britain, Berlin, Frankfurt, Ukraine, Sweden, Europe, homebuilders, China, Evergrande

☆ German property developer Gerch restructuring as crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dark clouds are seen over the construction site of "4 Frankfurt" skyscraper next to the statue of German inventor Johannes Gutenberg and Commerzbank tower in Frankfurt, Germany, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Aug 24 (Reuters) - German property developer Gerch said on Thursday it had filed an application for restructuring proceedings with a local court, the latest real estate firm to run into financial trouble as the sector suffers its biggest crisis in decades. Gerch said the move affected four of the firm's units and that the Duesseldorf court had ordered provisional self-administration. Mathias Duesterdick, CEO of Gerch, last month told Reuters the turn of events in the sector was worrying and predicted difficulties for developers. ($1 = 0.9211 euros)Reporting by Tom Sims, Editing by Rachel More and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Johannes Gutenberg, Kai Pfaffenbach, Gerch, Mathias Duesterdick, Tom Sims, Rachel More, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Ukraine

☆ Germany wants tighter foreign investment controls amid China 'de-risking'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The effort comes as Berlin urges companies to reduce their reliance on China and as the government examines whether its current set of regulations is sufficient to encourage this. Germany has at times been seen as a weak link in the Western approach to China, given the strong business ties with its single biggest trading partner. "Investment reviews have gained enormously in importance in Germany, Europe and internationally in recent years," the document said. In addition, the ministry is also considering checking the security significance of new factories built in Germany by foreign companies, as well as whether security-critical research cooperation deals need to be scrutinized. Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Tom Sims; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Habeck, China's Cosco, Andreas Rinke, Tom Sims, David Holmes Organizations: Reuters, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Berlin, China, West, Germany, Hamburg, Europe

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