Connect with us

Published

on

Deutsche Bank on Thursday said it plans to slash 3,500 jobs after reporting a 30% drop in fourth-quarter profit that included heavy losses in its US real estate holdings.

The layoffs come after the German banking giant hired 300 front-office staffers in the three-month period ended Dec. 31, though the firm’s CEO Christian Sewing said the headcount reduction will primarily impact back-office roles, and are part of a larger turnaround effort, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Let me stress that cost discipline continues to be our top priority, Sewing told reporters, per The Journal, adding that the bank would take more cost-saving measures if need be.

The bank had already announced plans to cut jobs, but this was the first time it had put a number on the layoffs, equivalent to just under 4% of its global workforce of about 90,000. The jobs affected will be back office roles.

Sewing also announced a share buyback plan and to pay dividends will total $1.7 billion during the first half of the year.

Though its fourth-quarter net profits plunged 30% from the year-ago period, the $1.4 billion that was generated easily beat the $853.45 million analysts expected.

Deutsche said it took $133 million hit for its US-based portfolio, which includes its headquarters on Wall Street, as well as locations in California, Florida and Texas, according to a presentation to investors released alongside earnings obtained by Bloomberg,

The provisions mark a more than 350% increase from the roughly $28.2 million it allotted for losses regarding its portfolio in 2022’s fourth quarter, Bloomberg reported.

Deutsche’s US offices represent about 1.5% of its total lending book, according to the outlet.

The bank, based in Frankfurt, Germany, also said refinancing its real estate loans was the “main risk.”

There’s also the possibility that debts will come due on properties that have fallen in value, requiring borrowers to inject fresh equity to secure new loans, the bank said.

Representatives for Deutsche Bank did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Subscribe to our daily Business Report newsletter!

Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Never miss a story.

Deutsche isn’t the only firm that faces debts on its real estate: Last month, Bloomberg revealed that asset manager Blackstone defaulted on its $308 million mortgage on a Manhattan office tower more than a year ago and the debt is now up for sale at a discount of more than 50%, citing people familiar with the matter.

Given the discounted loan, sources told the outlet that the building — located at 1740 Broadway — could be eligible for an office-to-residential conversion.

The skyscraper has been losing value since 2014, when the mortgage was originated and the 26-story Art Deco-style tower was appraised at $605 million, according to loan documents reviewed by Bloomberg.

The tower is just one of many empty office buildings scattered across New York City, which is in a so-called urban doom loop caused by an influx of working from home during the pandemic a trend that has stuck despite return-to-office mandates.

The doom loop concept is defined by empty office towers, which destroy quality of life and eventually drive residents out.

In the Big Apple, occupancy has only bounced back to 48.4% since the pandemic.

At the start of 2020, however, office occupancy was a strong 90% before it plummeted to 10% upon the outbreak of COVID-19.

Continue Reading

US

Elon Musk steps up attacks on Trump once again – as the president fights back

Published

on

By

Elon Musk steps up attacks on Trump once again - as the president fights back

Elon Musk has stepped up his attacks on Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill – weeks after a spectacular fallout between the world’s richest man and the US president.

Following weeks of relative silence after clashing with Mr Trump over his “big beautiful bill”, the billionaire vowed to unseat politicians who support it.

In a post on X, Musk said those who had campaigned on cutting spending but then backed the bill “should hang their heads in shame”.

He added: “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.”

Musk also threatened to put their faces on a poster which said “liar” and “voted to increase America’s debt” by $5trn (£3.6trn).

The posts attracted a swift reply from Mr Trump, who claimed the billionaire “may get more subsidy than any human being in history” for his electric car business.

“Without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Elon’s dad on the Musk-Trump bust-up

Musk spent at least $250m (£182m) supporting Mr Trump in his presidential campaign and then led the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which sacked about 120,000 federal employees.

He has argued the legislation would greatly increase the US national debt and wipe out the savings he claimed he achieved through DOGE.

As the Senate discussed the package, Musk called it “utterly insane and destructive”.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO said the bill’s massive spending indicated “we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!”

“Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people,” he wrote.

Read more from Sky News:
Stab victim describes horrible reality of knife crime
Royal train to be scrapped with family to rely on helicopters

👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈

Musk previously said some of his social media posts during his dramatic fallout with Mr Trump “went too far”.

He had shared a series of posts on X, including one that described Mr Trump’s tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination”.

He also claimed, in a since-deleted post, that the president appeared in files relating to the disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

But Musk later wrote: “I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”

In response, the president told the New York Post: “I thought it was very nice that he did that.”

Continue Reading

US

What’s in Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’?

Published

on

By

What's in Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill'?

👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈

Martha Kelner and Mark Stone break down what’s in Donald Trump’s huge tax and spending bill. He’s trying to sign it into law by the end of the week.

They also discuss the State Department’s decision to revoke US visas for British band Bob Vylan after their Glastonbury performance.

If you’ve got a question you’d like the Trump100 team to answer, you can email it to trump100@sky.uk.

You can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.

Continue Reading

Politics

Major German bank to offer crypto trading by 2026 amid bank ‘FOMO’

Published

on

By

Major German bank to offer crypto trading by 2026 amid bank ‘FOMO’

Major German bank to offer crypto trading by 2026 amid bank ‘FOMO’

Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe execs once ruled out adopting crypto over concerns of volatility and risk, and the banking giant also blocked customer crypto transactions back in 2015.

Continue Reading

Trending