Investors in Deutsche Bank AG are worried over the lender’s role in Danske Bank’s money laundering scandal.
There has been a management shakeup. Also, weak earnings and political turmoil in Italy and Turkey. This has all resulted in Deutsche Bank’s shares falling and hitting multiple lows this year.
As reported by Bloomberg, the concerns about the bank’s involvement in Europe’s biggest money-laundering scandal are weighing on the stock after the key whistle-blower pointed a finger at the bank. German supervisor BaFin is also seeking more information on its relationship with Danske.
“In the current environment, the slightest negative news is enough to make people leave risky assets, especially regarding sensitive topics like money laundering,” said Andreas Meyer, portfolio manager at Aramea Asset Management AG.
Danske Bank A/S whistle-blower Howard Wilkinson, who stunned Danish lawmakers on November 19 by saying he was offered hush money by the bank, estimated that $150bn in suspect funds it handled was funnelled through a lender that he didn’t name.
But Germany’s biggest bank is clear: it processed payments for Danske Bank in Estonia, but ended the relationship in 2015 after it found suspicious activity.
“We are neither aware of any investigation by BaFin nor have we received any formal requests for information,” a spokesman for Deutsche Bank said in an emailed statement.
According to Bloomberg, Danske isn’t the only one of Deutsche Bank’s relationships under examination. Its lending to US President Donald Trump is likely to be a focus of scrutiny for Democrats now that they’re set to take control of the House and have more power to launch investigations, Representative Maxine Waters pledged last week. She’s in line to take over the House’s financial services committee.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. updated their estimates for Deutsche Bank to incorporate third-quarter results. On average, the brokers cut the estimate for earnings per share for 2019 through 2022 by 6% and lowered the price target to €11.
