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Deutsche Bank
Founded in Berlin in 1870 to facilitate trade between Germany and global markets, Deutsche Bank built its reputation on international project finance and...
Deutsche Bank
Founded in Berlin in 1870 to facilitate trade between Germany and global markets, Deutsche Bank built its reputation on international project finance and foreign exchange. Under CEO Christian Sewing, appointed in 2018, the bank has exited equities sales and trading globally while cutting thousands of roles to refocus on its core corporate bank, investment bank, private bank, and asset management division DWS. This restructuring aimed to stabilize a balance sheet that had been strained by litigation and compliance costs stretching back to the 2008 financial crisis. The bank's investment engine concentrates on fixed-income and currency trading, origination and advisory for European corporates, and a transaction-banking franchise that processes a significant portion of global trade finance. Through DWS, a publicly listed asset manager majority-owned by Deutsche Bank, the group oversees some €821 billion in invested assets as of late 2023, spanning passive and active strategies in alternatives, real estate, and liquid securities. The private bank focuses on wealth management and retail banking across Germany, Italy, Spain, and Belgium, consolidating Postbank in a multi-year integration to reduce costs. Deutsche Bank's scale is global but its profit center remains the corporate and investment bank. The group employs roughly 90,000 staff across operational hubs in Frankfurt, London, New York, and Singapore, with material technology and back-office centers in India. In May 2024, the bank confirmed it would deepen cost-cutting measures and reduce its commercial real estate exposure further, while continuing to target a return on tangible equity above 10% by 2025. DWS remains a key lever, with recurring management fees providing a more stable income stream than trading. Structurally, Deutsche Bank differs from pure-play asset gatherers — its advantage and its risk are locked in the same balance-sheet-intensive model. The lending relationship with large European corporates feeds a proprietary M&A and fixed-income pipeline. A sprawling, globally systemically important bank, it operates under European Central Bank supervision, which shapes its capital allocation priorities and limits risk-taking in ways pure family offices or non-bank asset managers do not confront.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
1870
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
Germany
City
Frankfurt
Corporate office
Frankfurt, Germany
Additional offices
New York · London · Singapore · Hong Kong · Sydney · Mumbai
Principals
Christian Sewing
Chief Executive Officer
James von Moltke
Chief Financial Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How does Deutsche Bank generate the majority of its revenue?
The corporate and investment bank, particularly the fixed-income and currency trading division, generates the majority of group revenue. Origination and advisory for European corporates and a massive transaction-banking unit that processes cross-border trade flows are also material contributors. The private bank provides a deposit anchor from retail and wealth clients in Germany and other core European markets.
What is Deutsche Bank's relationship to DWS Group?
DWS Group is a publicly listed asset manager that is majority-owned by Deutsche Bank AG. DWS operates with its own management and board, managing over €800 billion across passive, active, and alternative strategies. The bank uses DWS as its primary vehicle for client asset management while retaining a significant economic interest in the fee income.
Which businesses has Deutsche Bank exited since 2018?
Under Christian Sewing's restructuring plan, the bank exited global equities sales and trading, significantly reduced its US investment banking presence, and shed several non-core lending portfolios. The strategy shifted the firm's competitive emphasis toward European corporate banking, fixed income, and transaction banking while shrinking the balance sheet allocated to capital-intensive trading.
How does Deutsche Bank approach co-investments or direct private capital?
Direct private capital deployment is conducted primarily through DWS in its alternatives and real estate strategies, as well as through the corporate bank's structured lending activities. The parent bank itself does not operate a large proprietary co-investment platform akin to a family office or private equity firm, instead leaning on the asset-management and credit-intermediation arms of the group.
Who are Deutsche Bank's primary regulators?
Deutsche Bank AG is supervised by the European Central Bank as a globally systemically important financial institution. It is also overseen by BaFin, the German financial regulator, and its major foreign operations in the United States and United Kingdom are regulated by the Federal Reserve and the Prudential Regulation Authority, respectively.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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