Deutsche Bank gets Qatari commitment for more funds

Frankfurt

DEUTSCHE Bank AG has secured a commitment for additional investment from Qatar as the troubled German lender seeks to bolster its finances, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The investment is likely to be made through the Qatar Investment Authority, the country's sovereign wealth fund, the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks are private. Two other Qatari investment vehicles, controlled by members of the royal family and other prominent politicians, already own a stake.

While the discussions are at an advanced stage, no final agreement has been reached, said the people. The timing and the size of the investment aren't clear. A Deutsche Bank spokesman declined to comment. Representatives for QIA did not respond to requests for comment.

The German government has been moving to fix Deutsche Bank as shares of the lender have slumped by almost half in the past year. The government is studying ways to make it easier for the lender to merge with Commerzbank AG, Bloomberg reported last month, while also considering other possibilities such as seeking fresh investment from existing or new shareholders.

Deutsche Bank, which has been trying to regain its footing after years of restructuring in the aftermaths of the global financial crisis, faces broadening US scrutiny as a leading Republican lawmaker joined Democratic colleagues in questioning the lender's steps to combat money-laundering amid reports that its US unit may have been a key conduit for dirty cash.

QIA, which manages US$320 billion, is known for its big-name investments and has purchased stakes in companies including Rosneft PJSC and Volkswagen AG. QIA chairman Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani suggested at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Deutsche Bank is among the major German companies the sovereign wealth fund is talking to about potential stake purchases.

QIA is looking "at different sectors" in Germany, said the chairman, who is also deputy prime minister and foreign minister of gas-rich Qatar. "Financial services is among them", as are infrastructure and industrials, he said. BLOOMBERG