Exclusives | Europe

ECB leaning towards approving UniCredit’s Commerzbank bid, document shows

12 August 2026, 11:17 am

1 min read

FILE PHOTO: Traffic lights glow near a logo of Commerzbank at a branch as Italy's UniCredit launches an unsolicited bid to increase its stake above 30% in Commerzbank, crossing the mandatory 30% takeover threshold under German law, in Cologne, Germany, March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen/File Photo

The ECB is leaning towards approving UniCredit’s takeover of Germany’s Commerzbank, an internal document detailing its preliminary view of the Italian bank’s attempt to create one of Europe’s largest lenders shows.