Europe’s largest stocks have significantly greater exposure to geopolitical shocks than their US and Japanese counterparts due to their international footprint, new research shows – with Germany’s DAX facing the highest risks. Should investors be concerned?

While some banks are embracing DLT and digital assets, those who have not yet defined their strategy risk being left behind. In the first of our new Digital Assets Deepdive series, the head of issuer services and new digital markets at Deutsche Börse argues the importance of updating market infrastructure to accommodate these rapidly evolving developments.

Balancing growth and risk is a delicate task for banks. By understanding client needs and leverage their technology capabilities, banks can not only maintain this balance but also tap into new opportunities in emerging industries. The partnership between Deutsche Bank and Chinese fintech XTransfer, highlighted by their recent success in Thailand, serves as a prime example of how tailored solutions and innovative processes can drive growth and operational efficiency.

As HSBC retrenches from domestic business on the continent, BNP Paribas steps up its ambition in Europe’s biggest economy – focusing largely on the family-owned Mittelstand.

If UniCredit is close to acquiring Commerzbank, it’s not just the result of a quick and crafty deal in the equities market. It comes after years of rebuilding the bank’s financial strength and reputation. Euromoney recalls how the Italian bank came back from the brink – ready to get into a position to buy Commerz.

Former credit trader Shikha Gupta discovers that a verbal contract isn’t worth the paper it is written on.

A small three-month deal from one of the bond market’s most frequent issuers shows the potential for on-chain delivery versus payment in central bank money. But the obstacles to widespread use of blockchains remain.

After years of retrenchment, Commerzbank’s head of corporate clients Michael Kotzbauer tells Euromoney of a tentative return to growth. The bank has dodged Germany’s commercial real estate slump but is having to adapt to a worsening geopolitical backdrop. Capital and cost efficiency remain big priorities.

In an interview with Euromoney, European Banking Authority chair José Manuel Campa joins the European Central Bank and others in pressuring banks to do more to prepare for geopolitical risks spreading from Russia to China, the US and Middle East.

The two European banks are both trying to de-emphasise their investment banks and want to build up areas where they see weakness. Barclays is later to this party than Deutsche, but both will have found encouragement in the first three months of 2024.

The German lender’s decision to put its chips on southeast Asia is paying off handsomely. Under the leadership of Asia CEO Alexander von zur Mühlen, Deutsche Bank has doubled its capital in Vietnam and Indonesia, with more to come, moved a host of global roles to the region, and has seen Asean eclipse its India and China business in terms of growth and absolute numbers.

In 2020, Deutsche Bank’s Asia chief, Alexander von zur Mühlen, placed more of his chips on fast-growing southeast Asia. As global firms diversify out of China, his prescience and willingness to deliver on his convictions is starting to pay off.

A private debt hangover in real estate is threatening middle-class retirement savings across Germany. Local banks, which focused more on senior loans, should be safer. But are these lenders ready to finance the recovery in commercial property that the German market so badly needs?

ING Bank’s commitment to sustainable and responsible banking in Germany makes the best bank for environmental, social and governance in the country this year.

Banks may be retreating from lending directly to small and medium-sized enterprises, but by lending to credit specialists with good technology they can still be a source of funding for the sector.

Just three weeks on from the rapturous response to Arm Holdings re-listing on Nasdaq, the prospects for a revival in IPOs suddenly look dim.

The German lender has named Claudio de Sanctis as its new head of private bank and created a single, unified division – part of longstanding plans to generate more income from the business by rooting out inefficiencies and tapping into new global income streams.

Big banks capable of competing with US players are part of Europe’s geostrategic interests, Deutsche Bank CEO tells audience at Euromoney dinner.

The activist shareholder highlights concerns about a former poster child for private equity ownership of banks.

Pouncing on a firm with lots of corporate broking relationships at the low point for IPOs is a smart trade.

The COO of Deutsche Bank’s International Private Bank, Sandra Wirfs, tells Euromoney how it has been able not just to slash costs but also to make its wealth management business more cost-efficient than the core bank.

After its DAX return, Commerzbank now has a clear – if uncertain – path to achieving its profit target, according to CFO Bettina Orlopp.

Four years ago, Christian Sewing set out to give the German bank new direction. His plan, based on income-rich services like private banking, continues to surprise and succeed. Euromoney caught up with the head of International Private Bank, Claudio de Sanctis, to discuss last year’s financials and his plans in Asia and the Middle East.

Private credit funds are committing more to specialist non-bank lenders such as iwoca, seeing big potential in small business credits, even if NPLs are set to climb.

The German bank’s strong third-quarter earnings are a partial result of forming a new international private bank division two years ago, honing it and continuing to invest in the strategy.

The biggest IPO in Europe for a decade has not generated the kind of excitement that might have been expected in calmer times. Porsche’s flotation was solid enough, but its structure and unusual nature make it a poor proxy for the broader equity capital markets business, which is on its knees.

A new job running Bayern Munich's finances could be more rewarding for HVB CEO Michael Diederich, especially after UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel’s push for more cuts in Germany.

Fossil fuel assets were set to become obsolete in the transition to net zero. But the war in Ukraine is forcing European governments to secure alternative energy sources and driving demand for coal, oil and gas back in the wrong direction. With the global energy transition seemingly pitched against national energy security agendas, banks are trying to navigate a difficult path through the turmoil.

Smaller firms are expected to pull back on expenditure as recession risk rises.

One of the architects of Deutsche Bank’s corporate and investment bank leaves a complex legacy.