Dutchman to become external senior adviser to Arta Finance, venture founded by former Google employees
Italy’s UniCredit pursues a stake in Germany’s Commerzbank
The pressing risk no longer is that banks are ‘too big to fail’ but ‘too small to deliver’
In contrast to Berlin’s stiff opposition, many family-owned businesses are pragmatic about a bid by UniCredit
Italian lender sidestepped bank ownership rules to build 21% position in German rival
Bloc’s officials say opposition to UniCredit’s move on German lender at odds with Berlin’s pro-EU stance
Eraj Shirvani exits Swiss financial services company as it chases $2.3bn of debts still outstanding
Banks getting bigger may be attractive, but there are significant drawbacks — especially for the taxpayer
The controversial move on Commerzbank would be the first big cross-border deal in Europe since the financial crisis
German lender lays out standalone case as it lifts growth and profit targets
Support for open-minded talks with Italian bank comes despite hardening political opposition to potential takeover
Current chief financial officer is sceptical about case for combining Italian and German lenders
UniCredit chief faces stiff opposition from German government and irritation within the ECB
Plus, Murdoch vies for property listings group Rightmove and a private equity continuation fund’s collapse shows the vehicles’ pitfalls
Blocking a richly priced offer purely on ideological grounds could be tricky
Italian lender raised its stake in German rival from about 9 per cent to 21 per cent through derivatives
After advising on the disastrous break-up of ABN Amro, the banker appears to be positioning UniCredit for a takeover of its German rival
French lender accelerates expansion drive after selling assets in US while HSBC makes cost-cutting a priority
German bank says potential multibillion tie-up with Italian rival could hit lending to Mittelstand companies
Senior figures in German government believe Italian lender took ‘stealthy’ approach to stakebuilding
Move to restrict financing to companies that fail to address carbon footprint widens gulf with US lenders
Deal is a textbook example of how not to create price tension in a capital markets offering
Consolidation and harmonisation would help lenders reap the benefits of scale
Opposition politicians riled by top government officials caught unaware of talks with Italian lender
Sales include stakes in Commerzbank, NatWest, ABN Amro and Monte dei Paschi di Siena
