Business
Commerzbank nearly doubles Q2 2026 profit as Unicredit eyes takeover
Commerzbank, Germany's second-largest listed bank, reported net profit of €898 million in Q2 2026, nearly doubling Q2 2025's €462 million. The bank remains "firmly on track" for its 2026 annual target of at least €3.4 billion and plans additional share buybacks of up to €1.2 billion. Italian bank Unicredit now controls access to roughly 50% of Commerzbank shares and CEO Andrea Orcel expects an imminent takeover. However, Commerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp argues that a majority alone won't suffice for major structural changes, requiring consensus and stakeholder engagement. The German federal government retains over 12% from its 2008–2009 bailout.