THREE times since the financial crisis, Deutsche Bank’s bosses have turned to its shareholders for cash: €10.2bn ($13.6bn) in 2010, €3bn in 2013 and €8.5bn in 2014. Since becoming chief executive in 2015, John Cryan has had no plans to ask for more. Deutsche still needed to thicken its equity cushion, but disposals, cost cuts and earnings (if any: it has made losses for the past two years) would provide the stuffing.
Well, plans change. On March 5th Mr Cryan announced an €8bn rights issue. Some comfort for investors: the price, €11.65 a share, is 39% below the previous close; and Mr Cryan, who had suspended the dividend, promises a return to “competitive” payouts next year. In another reversal, Deutsche will keep rather than sell Postbank, a mass-market retail business that was once part of the post office. Deutsche has owned it since 2010.
Postbank and the posher “blue” Deutsche Bank brand will be more closely integrated—notably, sharing computer systems. Mr Cryan is also selling a slice of Deutsche’s asset-management division and some lesser assets. And he is reorganising its corporate and investment bank to…Continue reading