More financing. More services. Greater international reach. Stronger client relationships. A future combination of HVB and Commerzbank* is about doing more for German businesses.
Germany's Mittelstand is the backbone of its economy. From family-owned industrial champions to innovative SMEs, these businesses create jobs, drive innovation and underpin Germany's industrial strength. They need a banking partner with commitment, financial strength, capabilities and international reach to support their ambitions.
For generations, HVB and Commerzbank have supported German businesses. The proposed integration brings together the best of both banks in Germany and internationally, backed by UniCredit's European network, to provide greater support and create more opportunities for clients.
Andrea Orcel, CEO of UniCredit, said: "Our commitment to Germany's businesses is clear. We will strengthen our support for corporate clients, building on and further developing the existing networks and relationships of HVB and Commerzbank. We will increase our capacity to finance corporate growth and give clients access to the full strength of UniCredit's products, expertise and international network. Our ambition is to help German businesses invest more confidently, compete more effectively and seize opportunities across Europe and beyond. We ask clients to continue to trust us and to judge us by what we will deliver, and we are determined to prove the value of bringing the best of both banks together. I am personally committed to delivering on these promises and to ensuring that our actions match our words. Our commitment to Germany, its businesses and its long-term economic success is unwavering."
More strength. More opportunity.
- Stronger, broader networks. We have been clear from day one: Our focus is on clients and expanding the business we do with them, not on cutting the ties through which we reach them. The ambition is to coordinate and combine the complementary strengths of HVB and Commerzbank's regional presence, relationships, expertise and services to serve businesses more effectively. Local knowledge and trusted relationships remain fundamental to our approach.
- Greater financing capacity for German business. We aim to strengthen the balance sheet capacity dedicated to corporate clients, enabling us to support larger financing requirements, strategic investments, transformation, acquisitions and ambitious growth plans.
- Access to best-in-class products and services. Commerzbank clients would benefit from access to UniCredit's broader capabilities across corporate lending, trade finance, hedging, cash management, payments, capital markets and international banking.
- Stronger international connections. By combining the strengths of HVB and Commerzbank with UniCredit's presence across 14 European core markets, including Italy, Austria, Central and Eastern Europe and Greece - and the two banks' international presence beyond that - we can connect German businesses to more markets, expertise and opportunities, and do so better than any one institution could alone.
- A stronger partner for transformation and growth. From digitalization and decarbonization to supply-chain resilience and international expansion, our combined capabilities would help businesses navigate change, invest with confidence and compete internationally.
A commitment measured by client outcomes
Germany's Mittelstand deserves clarity, investment and a truly pan-European banking partner focused on its future. The real test of an integration is what it delivers for clients.
We invite clients and stakeholders to judge us on our commitment to businesses, our capacity to finance their ambitions and the opportunities we create for German companies.
Our measure of success is straightforward: stronger relationships, greater financing capacity, more and better services offered and greater opportunities for clients to grow.
We are not combining our strengths to do less for German business. We are bringing them together because we know we can deliver more.
*Completion of which is subject to corporate and regulatory approvals
Contacts:
Media Relations e-mail: MediaRelations@unicredit.eu
Investor Relations e-mail: InvestorRelations@unicredit.eu