Commerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp sees no negative impact so far from the campaign by Italy's UniCredit, which is seeking to take over the Frankfurt-based lender and has questioned its future viability. Financial regulators reacted swiftly, prohibiting UniCredit from running negative advertising in LinkedIn ads and making critical statements regarding its takeover target, Orlopp explained to journalists on Friday. 'Customers understand the value we provide to them.' Furthermore, there has been no increase in employee turnover.

The pressure from UniCredit, which has been gradually increasing its stake in Commerzbank since 2024, was not necessary to present an ambitious strategy, the Commerzbank CEO emphasized. The only effect, perhaps, is that the bank announced its new strategy, presented in February 2025, and the now-published upward revision of its targets earlier than originally planned.

(Report by Sabine Wollrab. Edited by Scot W. Stevenson. For inquiries, please contact our editorial office at berlin.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for politics and economics) or frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com (for companies and markets).)