Banking Crisis

Commerzbank Plans To Raise Capital, Repay State Bailout Cash

Tom Burroughes Group Editor London 6 April 2011

Commerzbank Plans To Raise Capital, Repay State Bailout Cash

Commerzbank, the German banking group bailed out by the country’s government after the credit crunch, said today that it plans to repay about €14.3 billion (around $20.4 billion) in state aid by June this year, an amount higher than some media speculation had suggested.

The Frankfurt-listed bank – Germany’s second biggest banking group – has had to sell off a number of private wealth management operations, including the UK’s Kleinwort Benson, under European Union rules governing state aid and competition.

Commerzbank plans a capital increase of €8.25 billion and Germany’s bank-rescue fund, Soffin, will convert silent participations into €2.75 billion of shares, it said. The bank will also redeem silent participations of €3.27 billion with excess regulatory capital.

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