Deutsche Bank AG is confident that its German corporate clients can handle the knock-on effects of international sanctions against Russia, CEO Christian Sewing said March 10.
Germany's dependence on Russian oil and gas imports has raised questions about the impact global import bans could have on the country's domestic energy and manufacturing sectors.
Yet Sewing is reassured by the "great resilience" German companies have shown amid global uncertainty in the past and the speed at which they have reacted to ongoing global supply chain disruptions. "Overall, also looking at our portfolio, I feel confident that they can master this crisis," the CEO said at Deutsche Bank's investor day.
The German government's stance against a ban on Russian oil and gas imports is also reassuring, according to Sewing. "They are working on medium-term and long-term diversification, [which means] they know that simply … cutting off the Russian gas supply is not an option," the CEO said.
Both the U.S. and the U.K. have already announced import bans, though they are much less reliant on Russia for energy.
Deutsche Bank is assessing second- and third-order effects related to Russian sanctions as direct risks to the bank are "very much contained and under control," Sewing said.
Germany's biggest lender had €1.4 billion of gross loan exposure to Russia as of the end of 2021, accounting for roughly 0.3% of its total loan book. On a net basis, adjusted for guarantees and offshore collateral, the bank's direct Russian exposure stands at €600 million.
Deutsche Bank is closely monitoring its exposure to the energy, oil and gas, and other commodity sectors, where there is already some evidence of stress, Chief Risk Officer Stuart Lewis told investors. The bank has also started to model the potential impact of a prolonged period of volatility in those sectors, but the underlying loan book is strong, Lewis said.
The performance of Deutsche Bank's corporate portfolio during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that it is "resilient" and "well-diversified," Lewis said.
The group's corporate banking unit has been heading "in a good direction" since the start of 2022, Sewing said. In the first two months of this year, the unit generated revenues of €950 million, compared to €830 million in the same period a year ago.