DHL 2003 Annual Report Download - page 55
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FINANCIAL SERVICES
Corporate Divisions
Expansion of existing strengths
Postbank will continue to focus on its core competencies in future, and further expand
them. Our stated goal is to remain the market leader for retail banking in Germany.
As we still see significant growth potential here, there are currently no plans to inter-
nationalize our business. This decision is also due to the fact that retail banking is
basically a regional business.
We intend to further expand our Internet offering. In the light of the imminent
German pensions reform, we are primarily adapting for online use investment
products that generate a comparatively high yield but still offer a sufficient level of
security. The launch of Postbank DAX-Sparbuch direkt is scheduled for 2004. We will
also expand and optimize the online brokerage functions.
Postbank will further develop its personal advisory services for business
customers.
In the area of corporate banking, it is not Postbank’s aim to offer all of the
features of a universal bank, nor will it do so in future. Instead, it will focus on its core
competencies, with the three pillars of payment transactions, investment finance
and logistics finance, and will continue to perform its lending activities prudently.
In addition, we will strengthen our presence in promising niche markets,
such as transaction banking. The large German banks will continue to be forced to
significantly improve their cost positions. As a result, Postbank will benefit from
the outsourcing of IT-based processes, for example. Postbank intends to handle pay-
ments for Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Bank, and the banks signed the appropriate
letters of intent in October 2003. Postbank also aims to offer this payment-handling
service to other banks.
In future, we intend to further leverage the significant cross-selling potential
offered by the retail outlet sales channel within Deutsche Post World Net. The PUDLV
prescribes a network of 12,000 retail outlets. We will continue to examine our retail
outlets, which currently number around 13,500, in terms of demand and profitability,
and will gradually reduce them to the statutory level.
Postbank’s Management Board is examining all opportunities to secure a listing
for Postbank on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2004. A listing would enhance public
awareness of Postbank’s competencies. Postbank’s financial expertise and integration
with the retail outlet network make it a key element in Deutsche Post World Net’s
efforts to become the global leader for logistics. Consequently, Deutsche Post AG plans
to retain a majority interest in Postbank.
www.postbank.de