Commerzbank Shares Fall After Finance Minister Says Government to Shed Stake in Future

Commerzbank Shares Fall After Finance Minister Says Government to Shed Stake in Future
The headquarters of Germany's Commerzbank AG, Frankfurt, Germany, on Feb. 13, 2020. (Ralph Orlowski/Reuters)
Reuters
2/14/2022
Updated:
2/14/2022

BERLIN—Shares in Commerzbank fell 5 percent in Lang & Schwarz pre-market trade on Monday after Germany’s Finance Minister said the government would not keep its stake in the lender in the long run.

“In the long run, the state will not be a shareholder in Commerzbank,” Christian Lindner was quoted as saying by Handelsblatt newspaper.

Lindner said he would take into consideration taxpayers’ financial interest and the importance of Commerzbank for Germany’s medium-sized economy when this decision is made in the future.

The government holds a stake of more than 15 percent in Commerzbank following a bailout during the financial crisis.

Commerzbank Chief Executive Officer Manfred Knof said in November it would be better if the government shed its stake in the bank at some point.