[5] In recent years, the bank has undergone considerable transformation, returning to profitability, partly through substantial cost reductions and the evolution of its business model.

[14]: 7  In November 1932 the Commerz- und Privatbank chief executive Friedrich Reinhart and chairman Franz Heinrich Witthoefft [de] were among the signatories of the Industrielleneingabe petition of business leaders that advised President Paul von Hindenburg to appoint Adolf Hitler as chancellor.

[10]: 77 By the end of the war the former head office and close to half of the bank's branches were in the Soviet occupation zone, where they were promptly nationalized and liquidated.

The German reunification allowed Commerzbank to tap into new target groups; in the first three months after the Monetary, Economic and Social Union of Germany, around 80,000 customers and thousands of corporate clients chose the bank.

[26] Two years later, a tri-national cooperation was established between the German Commerzbank, the British National Westminster Bank, and the French Société Générale.

At that time, the bank earned around two-thirds of its income abroad, for example, through its new representation in Taipei and expansions in Hungary and the Czech Republic.

[33] Also, a potential acquisition of Postbank by Commerzbank, which was discussed at times and would have led to a financial conglomerate with a building society and insurance, ultimately did not materialize.

[54] In addition to digital activities and growth in the domestic market, especially among corporate clients,[55] Commerzbank explored various acquisitions in Central and Eastern Europe.

[61] Following the dot-com bubble's collapse and subsequent turmoil in financial markets, Commerzbank had to make significant write-downs on its stake as early as 2003.

[84] Trade unions viewed the merger of Commerzbank and Dresdner Bank critically in light of potential job cuts,[85] as did the investment company Cobra, which held stakes in both financial institutions.

[86][87] On the other hand, Generali, the Italian finance and insurance conglomerate and another major shareholder of Commerzbank, explicitly expressed positive views on the plans.

[107] Due to the credit risks of Dresdner Bank that became apparent at the end of 2008, Commerzbank utilized the Special Fund for Financial Market Stabilization (SoFFin).

[108] After the German federal government and the European Commission agreed on the assistance details, Commerzbank received a silent participation of 8.2 billion euros.

Even after the takeover, the major bank maintained its lending to the struggling German economy to prevent a credit crunch in the mid-market sector.

At the end of 2012, the bank launched an advertising campaign in which it openly admitted past mistakes and positioned itself as a fair and competent financial service provider.

[139][140] Write-downs on government bonds and real estate loans continuously led to losses,[141][142] making the company no longer viable.

[144][145] The decade following the takeover and integration of Dresdner Bank brought further profound changes for Commerzbank caused by the digitalization of all areas of public life.

[165] For the financial year 2023 the bank targets to distribute 50 percent of the profit to shareholders, consisting of another share buyback with a volume of 600 million euros and a planned dividend payment.

Based on its capital return policy the bank aims to increase the pay-out ratio to at least 70 percent for the financial year 2024, but not more than the net result.

[167] It was revealed later that month that UniCredit under Andrea Orcel had been the buyer, and that he had informed the European Central Bank of his intention to increase his stake to more than 30%.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz was affronted and angry and adjunct Finance Minister Florian Toncar counselled against the Italian's plan.

[176] Other participations include the advertising agency Neugelb Studios and the innovation unit Neosfer, which strategically invests in fintechs, among other things.

With a stake of over 15 percent, the Federal Republic of Germany, through the Special Fund for Financial Market Stabilization (SoFFin), was the largest single shareholder in mid 2023.

It offers a wide range of products for payment transactions, securities trading, investment and financing, and corresponding advice through various channels (online and offline).

[198][199] Commerzbank supports the goal defined in the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to less than two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.

Commerzbank relies on the scientific findings and methods of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to steer its portfolios towards carbon neutrality, which the bank joined in 2022.

In 2012, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board (FRB), which regulates foreign banking operations in the United States, required Commerzbank and its New York branch to rectify deficiencies in their compliance program and anti-money laundering processes.

[205][206] US authorities accused Commerzbank of violating sanctions in its business dealings with partners in countries such as Iran, Sudan, North Korea, Myanmar and Cuba.

Reasons included deficiencies in anti-money laundering measures revealed concerning fraud involving the Japanese Olympus Corporation.

( and possibly works with it in the meantime) Clients concerned also report that they were previously effectively isolated and that their professional networks and private relationships were distroyed online and offline.