DEUTSCHE Bank ut the bonus pool at its investment banking division by more than 10 per cent after a slump in deals and a slowdown in trading last year.

Staff advising on mergers and acquisitions saw some of the deepest reductions, according to sources familiar with the matter who asked for anonymity discussing internal information. Overall, Deutsche Bank’s bonus pool was down by about 5 per cent, they added.

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bank declined to comment.

The German lender warned in January that bonuses for last year would reflect a difficult market for the investment bank, a key driver of profit until surging rates started to weigh on dealmaking. Peers such as Barclays have also cut variable compensation, and bankers at several Wall Street firms are bracing for flat or lower payouts.

Variable pay “will reflect performance”, Deutsche Bank chief financial officer James von Moltke said in January. “And as you have seen in a number of different areas of the investment banking business in particular in 2023, it has been a difficult market.”

Revenue at the investment bank declined 9 per cent last year, led by a 38 per cent slump in the advisory business and 11 per cent lower trading income. BLOOMBERG

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