Best bank - Deutsche Bank
Best debt house - Deutsche Bank
Best equities house - Deutsche Bank
Best M&A house - Morgan Stanley
Best local partner - Sal Oppenheim
Choosing a best bank in Germany is a no-brainer. Among the three privately owned banks - now that Dresdner has become part of Allianz - only Deutsche Bank comes close to making the grade. Hypovereinsbank and Commerzbank continue to struggle with huge non-performing loans and the lack of a coherent strategy. Not so Deutsche which, under the auspices of Joesf Ackermann, has been cleaning up its act and cutting costs, making it by far the Germany's pre-eminent bank. It provides German companies with the full range of investment banking and commercial bank products as well as having a highly regarded private-client and asset-management business. This year Deutsche has been refocusing away from the troubled domestic mid-cap sector, surely a smart move.
Deutsche's prowess in debt in its home market remains untouchable. It dominates the league tables, with over 12% of total German business under its belt for the past year. In every type of business from corporates, to banks, to local authorities and government bonds, it stands out.