By Tom Sims and Patricia Uhlig
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – U.S. activist investor Cerberus is calling on Commerzbank
In a letter to the bank’s chairman on Tuesday, Cerberus complained Commerzbank had failed to heed its advice after more than 70 meetings. Shares in Germany’s second-biggest bank have fallen about 60% since Cerberus bought a 5% stake in 2017.
The investor demanded Commerzbank appoint two “highly qualified individuals to be identified by us” to its supervisory board.
In the five-page letter, Cerberus described Commerzbank’s performance as “disastrous” and said shareholders would be highly supportive of “significant change” to the supervisory board, management board and strategy.
“The window of opportunity to address the challenges faced by Commerzbank is rapidly closing,” Cerberus wrote in the letter, seen by Reuters.
A spokeswoman for Commerzbank declined to comment. Its shares, which have hit record lows this year, were up 2.5% in mid-morning trade.
Such public shareholder campaigns are rare in Europe, and in Germany activist investors are often viewed warily – as shareholders focused on short-term profits rather than what is best for companies in the long term. The German government is the largest shareholder in Commerzbank with a 15% stake.
“In my view, state ownership does not make it any easier for Cerberus to achieve its strategic goals,” said Klaus Nieding of shareholder lobby group DSW.
The 150-year-old Commerzbank has had a rough few months as it swung to a loss, halted its 2019 dividend plans, backtracked on the sale of its Polish lender mBank
Commerzbank, bailed out by the state during the last financial crisis, has warned its target for turning a profit in 2020 now seems “very ambitious” amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The bank is currently looking for further cost cuts, which may include trimming its branch network.
Its proponents argue Commerzbank has successfully integrated its Comdirect online brokerage, a pillar of a strategy revamp announced last year.
Just months after buying into Commerzbank, Cerberus also took a 3% stake in Deutsche Bank
The investor was behind a push to merge the two banks last year, people told Reuters at the time, though the effort failed and both banks embarked on separate restructuring measures.
“The precarious situation of Commerzbank requires swift and decisive action now,” Cerberus wrote, demanding a reply by June 12. It did not spell out how the bank should change its strategy.
The letter is expected to be discussed at a supervisory board meeting on Wednesday, two people with knowledge of the matter said.
(Reporting by Tom Sims and Patricia Uhlig; Editing by Edmund Blair and Mark Potter)
