Commerzbank Stock: UniCredit Gains Approval for Major Stake

The Commerzbank share price surged on Friday, climbing 4.0% to €24.10 during XETRA trading and briefly touching a new 52-week high of €24.22. This significant upswing follows the European Central Bank's approval for Italian banking giant UniCredit to increase its stake in Commerzbank to nearly 30%. UniCredit currently controls approximately 28% of shares, with 9.5% held directly and 18.5% through financial instruments. The regulatory clearance marks a crucial step in what analysts view as potential groundwork for one of Europe's largest cross-border banking mergers since the financial crisis. However, the move has generated substantial tension, with Commerzbank labeling the approach as "hostile" and its works council promising fierce resistance against any takeover attempt. A final decision regarding a potential merger is not expected before 2026, as UniCredit awaits the opportunity for "constructive dialogue with the new German government."

Financial Performance and Outlook

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Sollten Anleger sofort verkaufen? Oder lohnt sich doch der Einstieg bei Commerzbank?

Commerzbank reported strong financial results recently, with earnings per share reaching €0.65 in the last quarter of 2024, doubling the previous year's figure of €0.32, despite revenue declining by 61.22% to €2.33 billion. Analysts forecast earnings of €2.29 per share for fiscal year 2025. The Frankfurt-based bank is leveraging these positive metrics to advocate for its independence, emphasizing improving dividends and ambitious return targets to shareholders. The dividend is expected to increase from €0.650 per share in 2024 to an estimated €0.849 in 2025. The German government, which still holds approximately 12% of Commerzbank following its financial crisis bailout, has expressed skepticism toward UniCredit's ambitions.