English | Financial news with a German perspective

Walter Sinn, Managing Partner of consulting firm Bain & Co Germany, explains what currently concerns his clients, and identifies actions needed to improve the German business location.

The Federation of German Industries (BDI) urges the government to introduce new measures aimed at boosting industrial startups, by channeling more growth capital into Germany.

Guy Wagner, Chief Investment Officer of Banque de Luxembourg Investments (BLI), expects the price of gold to rise significantly higher. He is also focusing on Japanese equities.

The economic landscape is being pressured by the climate transformation, and fears of deindustrialisation are growing. A recent roundtable hosted by IW, DekaBank, and Börsen-Zeitung, featuring Baden-Württemberg's Finance Minister, Bayaz, offered up a few solutions.

US fund manager Cathie Wood sees a bright future in Europe for active ETFs. At an event in Frankfurt she explained her strategy of investing in companies engaged in disruptive innovation – such as Tesla.

The State of Hessen plans a cash injection of 1.5 billion for common shares in Helaba, as well as subscribing to a 500 million AT1 bond. The transaction is being undertaken because the European Banking Authority will no longer recognise silent participations as core capital.

Economic Affairs and Climate Action Minister Robert Habeck has joined TikTok. But the jury is still out on the potential pluses and minuses for politicians.

Big Pharma is gradually pulling away from the consumer health sector. Stepping in to take its place are the consumer goods conglomerates.

Viessmann has sold its heating division to US company Carrier Global for 12 billion euros, plus a stake in Carrier. The timing was good given the value realised, but the calculations of the Viessmann family went beyond price.

The first quarter earnings report from Deutsche Börse underscores the strategic rationale behind the SimCorp acquisition. Now integration costs must be effectively managed to unlock the full potential of the deal.

The frosty relationship between politicians and bankers has been consigned to the past. The banking industry is now viewed in Berlin as indispensable for driving forward the economic transformation.

Research unbundling rules and the ETF boom have contributed to an environment where it is difficult to earn money with equity research. The result is that smaller companies have been left behind.

Part of the population has little trust in public institutions, including the European Central Bank. This is not good for democracy, and the ECB wants to improve its own communication. But putting financial knowledge on the school curriculum would also help.

The Corporate Bank unit at Deutsche Bank faces challenges as the interest rate cycle turns. The Investment Bank division set the pace in the first quarter, pushing the stock price upwards.

New BASF CEO Markus Kamieth faces numerous challenges. He takes the helm in an economically difficult environment, which includes high energy costs in Germany.

Germany's commercial banks have called on the government to introduce extensive reforms to get the economy moving again. And they are pressing for a postponement to the introduction of Basel III.

The shortening of the settlement cycle for securities transactions in the US poses enormous challenges for Europe's asset managers. S&P Global and the CME Group now want to capitalise on this opportunity with their joint venture Osttra.

The Bürgerbewegung Finanzwende has gained a respected advocate in cum-ex chief investigator Anne Brorhilker, who has announced her move to the NGO.

As long as Frankfurt primarily perceives the drug misery in the Bahnhofsviertel as a risk to its location marketing, all countermeasures will remain merely social cosmetics.

Chief investigator in the German cum-ex scandal Anne Brorhilker has resigned from the public prosecutor's office. In a TV interview she expressed her frustration with the cum-ex prosecution process, and revealed that she is joining the NGO Bürgerbewegung Finanzwende.

The IMF is demanding structural economic reforms worldwide. And it is urging Germany to ease its debt brake- something that Finance Minister Christian Lindner does not view as a solution to weak economic growth.

Clara C. Streit, Chair of the Regierungskommission Deutscher Corporate Governance Kodex, wants to promote a more productive dialogue between corporates and investors. And reducing bureaucracy is also a goal.