UniCredit CEO Tells CNBC Full Acquisition of Commerzbank Could Happen in Fourth Quarter
Commerzbank agreed to constructive talks after UniCredit raised its stake to 48% and said a full acquisition could come in the fourth quarter.
- On Friday, July 24, 2026, Commerzbank agreed to enter 'constructive talks' with UniCredit, ending months of resistance to the Italian bank's takeover offer.
- UniCredit's 48% stake forced Commerzbank Chairman Jens Weidmann to seek a framework protecting shareholders and staff as the Italian lender moved toward full control.
- UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel reported second-quarter net profit of €2.9 billion, upgraded full-year guidance to more than 11 billion euros, and targeted a potential fourth-quarter acquisition of Commerzbank.
- Weidmann emphasized the need for 'constructive talks to establish the key parameters' for staff, shareholders, and customers, insisting there would be 'no shortcut via Berlin.'
- The deal has evolved from an 'attractive financial investment' to a 'strategic transaction of substantial industrial value creation,' though Orcel noted the banks remain 'very different,' requiring alignment before merger.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Italian Unicredit is making progress in the planned acquisition of Commerzbank. Now, CEO Andrea Orcel is pressing for talks with the Federal Government. And he announces cuts in the workforce and branches – but also improvements.
After a takeover of Commerzbank, four of the former five major German banks were under the roof of the Milan Unicredit. The Deutsche Bank would remain, however, only playing in the second league. Policy errors and management errors explain the misery.
For a year and a half, the Italian bank UniCredit has been gradually increasing its stake in the German Commerzbank, to the dissatisfaction of the latter.
After the advance of the head of Unicredit Andrea Orcel, Jens Weidmann takes over the direction at Commerzbank: The takeover is no longer averted, according to the head of the supervisory board. Now it's about the terms - but he also makes it clear: The way to the deal leads only through Frankfurt, not via Berlin.
The first major European bank takeover in a long time seems to be a matter of time. The German Commerzbank is giving up in the battle unleashed by the Italian Unicredit to acquire Germany's second-largest bank. After months of resistance, Commerzbank now wants to enter into "constructive" talks with Unicredit to be absorbed by the Italian giant bank. This is what Commerzbank Supervisory Board Chairman Jens Weidmann said today in an interview wi…
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