The Wall Street Journal-20080214-Postbank-s Suitors Line Up

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Postbank's Suitors Line Up

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FRANKFURT -- The courtship of Deutsche Postbank AG will likely intensify this week, as German peers circle the country's largest retail bank and its nearly 15 million customers.

Commerzbank AG Chief Executive Klaus-Peter Muller is expected to reiterate his interest in buying Postbank when his bank reports its fourth-quarter earnings today, analysts say. Mr. Muller and Commerzbank supervisory board Chairman Martin Kohlhaussen in November had expressed interest in Postbank.

Postbank shares have surged recently on news reports it could merge with a peer such as Commerzbank or rival Deutsche Bank AG.

Postbank is majority-owned by Deutsche Post World Net AG. Postbank has a market capitalization of just less than 10 billion euros, or $14.6 billion, while Deutsche Bank's market capitalization is around 40 billion euros and Commerzbank's is at 13.3 billion euros.