(9 March 2004 – Germany) Speculation continues over the future of Deutsche Bank with JPMorgan Chase the latest bank to be linked with the German giant.Reports in the German media said JPMorgan Chase had sounded out the German ministry of finance to see if there would be any opposition to a takeover of Deutsche.
This follows rumours last week that UK bank HSBC had been in discussions with Deutsche executives in London, and earlier in the year Citigroup held exploratory discussions with the German bank. Credit Suisse has also been linked with Deutsche.
Deutsche’s chief executive Josef Ackermann said the bank was open to merger or takeover discussions but admitted its financial performance needed to be stronger to be more attractive to suitors.