FRANKFURT--Germany's Commerzbank AG (CBK.XE) Thursday said it placed around 128.3 million newly issued shares with institutional investors.
The 128,335,357 new shares, which were sold to institutional investors at a price of EUR1.27 a share, forms a part of the capital increase of the bank's subscribed capital by about 3.2%, or a total 176,553,636 new shares. The new shares constitute a contribution in kind related to 2011 bonus payments to staff in Commerzbank shares.
Commerzbank said late Wednesday it has strengthened its Core Tier 1 capital by a total of 213.8 million euros (about $266.6 million) by having the majority of employees' 2011 bonuses paid out in Commerzbank shares, a step toward improving the bank's capital base in light of stricter regulation.
Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank act as joint bookrunner in the coordinated sales transaction.
The new shares will be traded on exchanges as of July 2.
The German government, through its SoFFin financial-markets-stabilization fund, will continue to hold 25% plus one share in Commerzbank.
A corresponding portion of the SoFFin's silent participation is intended to be converted into shares, Commerzbank added.
Write to Ulrike Dauer at ulrike.dauer@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 28, 2012 03:45 ET (07:45 GMT)
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