UniCredit Lifts Commerzbank Voting Stake to 26%, Eyes 29%

UniCredit said it has converted additional synthetic instruments linked to Commerzbank into ordinary shares, lifting its voting stake in the German lender to roughly 26%. The move cements the Milan-based bank’s status as Commerzbank’s largest investor. Management indicated that the remaining synthetic exposure will be swapped into physical stock "in due course," which would raise UniCredit’s voting interest to around 29%. The step-by-step accumulation gives the Italian group significantly more influence in Frankfurt-listed Commerzbank at a time when European banks are pursuing cross-border scale and capital-return strategies.