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January 11, 2010

Commerzbank Corporates & Markets hosts largest German Investment Seminar in New York

● With 60 leading German corporates meeting over 450 US institutional investors, the biggest event ever in its 12 year history

● Germany increasingly attractive for investors as it emerges stronger from the financial crisis

● First time event branded under Commerzbank’s new logo introducing the full roll-out of the new brand across Commerzbank’s investment banking operations


Today Commerzbank Corporates & Markets will host its first German Investment Seminar (GIS) in New York. 27 of the DAX 30 largest German companies and around 60 top-level management executives are scheduled to present. The event continues the previous format formerly organised by Dresdner Kleinwort, which was acquired by Commerzbank in January 2009. For 12 years, the GIS has provided a unique annual forum for leading German corporates to come together with major US institutional investors enabling them to enhance their shareholder dialogue.

Today's seminar will also mark the first time Commerzbank Corporates and Markets has used the new Commerzbank logo which comprises the Commerzbank brand name and the yellow three dimensional triangle-shaped ribbon. The new brand incorporates the strengths of the two tradition rich brands and serves as a symbol of Performance and Partnership, which are the cornerstones of Commerzbank#s values.

Commenting on the interest of US investors in meeting German companies, Markus Plümer, Head of Equity Brokerage at C&M said: "Despite the financial crisis we've continued to see a strong interest from US investors in German companies. We believe this is for a number of reasons: German companies have quickly adapted to the crisis by making use of increasing labour flexibility. On the back of tough cost cutting, margins of listed German companies have held up comparatively well during this crisis. Higher flexibility, restructuring programmes and a modest rebound in revenues post their unprecedented decline argues for a strong profit recovery. Despite continued deleveraging in major economies, listed German companies should benefit from their increasing exposure to emerging markets. Chances are that German equities could even start to outperform their Continental European peers in 2010 on the back of higher flexibility, forceful restructuring and their comparatively greater exposure to cyclical sectors."

German equities are still very attractive for US investors. A number of trends support investment into Germany, one being its solid fundamentals. Overall, the German economy remains on a comparatively solid footing despite a fall in GDP in 2009. Germany had no bubble in residential real estate and household debt remains significantly lower relative to international peers. As a result, there is little argument for deleveraging German households which, in turn, could adversely weigh on growth *.

Speaking at today's event Michael Reuther, Commerzbank Board Member responsible for investment banking commented further: "The German Investment Seminar is an excellent example of what we stand for and I am delighted to welcome representatives at the highest level of Germany's finest companies and America's most important institutional investors to this event. Your presence here shows what important business partners Germany and the US are to one another, while also providing evidence that mature markets like the highly developed German economy continue to offer attractive investment opportunities due to its chances to profit from a rebound in Emerging Markets."

The special speaker at the conference will be Arthur Laffer, the famous US 'supply-side' economist who was also a member of President Reagan's Economic Policy Advisory Board.

Commerzbank's local knowledge combined with its strong foothold in its home market gives the bank a unique position in the analysis of German companies, along with its expert knowledge of the German and European economy. The Commerzbank New York sales desk is # 1 Broker for German stocks in the US, which indicates the high level of competence, contacts and resources available to the bank.

Ends

Contact:
Margarita Thiel + 49 172 706 5233
Sandra Fohlmeister + 49 69 136 44 588
Claire Tappenden + 44 20 7475 5161


*Source: Commerzbank Corporates & Markets Equities Strategists: German Investor Seminar Special January 2010, by Analyst Gunnar Hamann

About Commerzbank Corporates & Markets www.commerzbank.de/neuC&M

Commerzbank Corporates & Markets (C&M) is the corporate and investment banking segment of Commerzbank AG, providing a broad range of products and services to corporate and institutional clients in Germany, Europe and beyond. The business incorporates advisory and capital markets activities in debt, equities, commodities, fixed income or currencies with a strong focus on derivatives and structured products. C&M aspires to be clients' partner of choice when it comes to the development and execution of smart solutions for all their financing and capital market needs.

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