From 2026 to 2030, the Commerzbank plans to invest cumulative around €600m in AI. From 2030 onwards, the bank expects its AI initiatives to generate an additional value of around €500m per year. The Bank also anticipates that AI will enable it to free up and partially redeploy around 10% of its capacities.
Commerzbank continued its successful course with a very strong first quarter in 2026. The operating result rose by 11% to a record of €1.4bn in the first three months of the year.
„Based on this successful beginning of the year, Commerzbank is raising its outlook for the 2026 financial year. It now plans for a net result of at least €3.4bn, up from its previous forecast of more than €3.2bn. The Bank also anticipates dynamic business development in the coming years. It is therefore raising its expectations for 2028 and setting ambitious financial targets through 2030.” – according to the press release.
With its refined “Momentum 2030” strategy, Commerzbank is continuing to scale its proven business model and is more firmly reflecting the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) into its planning. In doing so, the Bank is accelerating profitable growth, increasing efficiency and advancing technological innovation faster than previously planned.
Targets 2030: Artificial intelligence as important driver for efficiency and growth
Commerzbank is accelerating growth and consistently advancing the Bank’s transformation. By 2028, the Bank is targeting a net return on tangible equity of around 17%, up from the previous forecast of 15%. By 2030, it expects a further increase to around 21%. The net result is set to increase to €4.6bn by 2028 and to €5.9bn by 2030.
Revenues are anticipated to grow to €15.0bn by 2028 and to €16.8bn by 2030, implying a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6%. For 2028, Commerzbank had originally expected revenues of €14.2bn. Both net commission income and net interest income are expected to contribute to the additional revenue growth. The Bank assumes that net commission income will maintain its dynamic growth rate. Based on continued growth in deposits and loans, and supported by active deposit management, net interest income is expected to contribute €9.8bn to revenues in 2028, increasing to €11.2bn by 2030.
For the Group’s cost base, an overall stable level is expected in the coming years. Excluding mBank, costs are projected to decline. Accordingly, the cost-income ratio is expected to improve further – instead of the originally planned 50% to 48% in 2028 and to 43% in 2030. Excluding compulsory contributions, the cost-income ratio will then be at 46% and 41% respectively.
The basis for the higher targets is the well-established business model with a clear customer focus, which the Bank will continue to develop in a targeted manner in the coming years. The Private and Small-Business Customers segment in Germany will continue to expand its high-quality advisory services and brokerage business in order to benefit even further from the trend towards securities.
The Corporate Clients segment aims to gain additional market share in its domestic German market. At the same time, it is driving forward the targeted expansion of the international business, reflecting the ongoing increasing geographical diversification of the German economic activity. In addition, the segment will continuously optimise its capital deployment, creating the basis for further profitable growth. The Polish subsidiary mBank pursues its highly successful strategy “Full Speed Ahead!” and will significantly contribute to achieving the Group targets.
With “Momentum 2030”, the Bank will leverage the potential of AI even more. In the period from 2026 to 2030, the Bank plans to invest cumulative around €600m in this area. AI applications already in use today are increasing productivity and service quality, delivering measurable benefits for customers and employees alike. A current example from retail banking is the launch of an optimised complaints management process using agentic AI. In risk management, the Bank uses “Hawk AI”, an AI model that analyses large volumes of data to more precisely detect money laundering and financial crime. In addition, the Bank is digitalising its credit risk processes. AI-supported analysis of annual reports enhances credit analysis and helps identify risks at an early stage.
In the next phase of development, Commerzbank will consistently deploy AI agents to support entire processes – ranging from account switching and know-your-customer (KYC) procedures and document checks to the drafting of contracts. This will significantly reduce labour-intensive tasks. From 2030 onwards, Commerzbank expects its AI initiatives to generate an additional value of around €500m per year. The Bank also anticipates that AI will enable it to free up and partially redeploy around 10% of its capacities, allowing employees in sales to devote more time to high-quality customer advisory services. AI-based services will also further enhance the customer experience.
The Bank’s continued transformation is accompanied by a Group-wide reduction of around a further 3,000 gross positions. This is partially offset by targeted hiring in selected growth and future areas. To ensure that this transformation is carried out in a socially responsible manner, Commerzbank is, among other measures, relying on established retirement programmes, natural attrition and demographic effects. The Bank has already concluded a transformation agreement with employee representatives setting out the cornerstones.
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