Deutsche Bank plans new hires in Nordic region amid deal rush

[LONDON] Deutsche Bank is targetting more business in the Nordic market by utilising its balance sheet and bringing in additional bankers, according to the region's chief executive officer.

"We are selectively hiring, but also putting capital and balance sheet behind the right type of opportunities," Jan Olsson said in a phone interview from London.

The Nordic region "really stands out" and has become "a very active environment" for capital raising as well as mergers and acquisitions, according to the 33-year veteran of the bank.

Mr Olsson points to a spate of landmark deals in recent days including Polestar's US$20 billion SPAC plan and Heimstaden Bostad's acquisition financing, in which the German lender helped underwrite a US$7.6 billion short-term bridge loan alongside JPMorgan Chase.

This week has also seen Volvo Cars announce plans to raise US$2.9 billion on the Stockholm stock exchange-an offering that could help the year's IPO proceeds in Sweden surpass the previous record set in 2000, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

But the Nordic deal rush has also been set against a backdrop of volatile share prices and cancelled listing plans, as wide ranging risks from China's debt crisis to inflation continue to rattle markets.

"We've had very limited inflation for many years," Mr Olsson said. "As investors get used to the new environment, they will master this transition period, so I feel optimistic."

BLOOMBERG