GERMAN-Irish bank, Depfa ACS has been fined €250,000 by the Financial Regulator over suspected breaches of rules pertaining to the Asset Covered Securities Act of 2001.

Banks and other lenders are reducing the amount of money they will lend to fund private equity and leveraged acquisitions by as much as 20%, it has been revealed today.

DEPFA, the IFSC-headquartered lender, has agreed to a €5.6 billion takeover by Hypo Real Estate (HRE).

SHARES in the Dublin-based Depfa Bank, Europe’s second-largest public-finance provider, posted their biggest increase in eight months amid speculation Deutsche Bank may consider bidding for it.

DEPFA Bank, the Dublin-headquartered German financial services provider, has reported an 11% fall in annual net profit for 2005 to €475 million.

Depfa Bank Plc, the number two European public finance lender, plans to spend €57.8 million to buy out minority investors in its German unit.

German's Depfa Bank, which has a base in Dublin, plans to sell its German unit, Deutsche Pfandbriefbank, to help boost its credit rating and expand in the US.

German's Depfa Bank, which has a base in Dublin, said today that profits this year will rise more than 8% after an increase in net interest income drove fourth-quarter earnings higher than analysts had forecast.

DEPFA Bank Plc, Europe’s second-biggest provider of public finance, said demand for the 14.4 million shares being sold by its largest shareholder is outstripping the amount of stock on offer.

Depfa Bank, the Dublin headquartered public sector finance house, says it has increased its full year earnings target by 16.5% following a promising performance in the third quarter.

THE main shareholder in Dublin-based German public sector finance specialist Depfa Bank Plc said yesterday it was selling its 40.8% stake after the bank posted a jump in third-quarter profit and raised its 2003 guidance.