The financial information in the consolidated financial statements includes that for the parent company, Deutsche Bank, together with its subsidiaries, including certain special purpose entities (“SPEs”), presented as a single economic unit.
SUBSIDIARIES
The Group’s subsidiaries are those entities which it controls. The Group controls entities where it has the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity, generally accompanying a shareholding, either directly or indirectly, of more than one half of the voting rights. The existence and effect of potential voting rights that are currently exercisable or convertible are considered in assessing whether the Group controls another entity.
The Group sponsors the formation of special purpose entities for a variety of reasons, including allowing clients to hold investments in separate legal entities, allowing clients to jointly invest in
alternative assets, for asset
securitization transactions, and for buying or selling credit protection. When assessing whether to consolidate an SPE, the Group evaluates a range of factors, including whether (a) the activities of the SPE are being conducted on behalf of the Group according to its specific business needs so that the Group obtains the benefits from the SPE’s operations, (b) the Group has decision-making powers to obtain the majority of the benefits, (c) the Group will obtain the majority of the benefits of the activities of the SPE, and (d) the Group retains the majority of the residual ownership risks related to the assets in order to obtain the benefits from its activities. The Group consolidates an SPE if an assessment of the relevant factors indicates that the SPE is controlled by the Group.
Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to the Group and are no longer consolidated from the date that control ceases.
The Group will reassess consolidation status at least at every quarterly reporting date. Therefore, any changes in structure are considered when they occur. This includes changes to any contractual arrangements the Group has, including those newly executed with the entity, and is not only limited to changes in ownership.
The Group reassesses its treatment of SPEs for consolidation when there is an overall change in the SPE’s arrangements or the substance of the relationship between the Group and an SPE changes due to current market conditions or any other factors so that there are new activities between the Group and the SPE which were not foreseen originally. Factors indicating a change in the substance of the relationship between the Group and the SPE include, but are not limited to, the following:
- changes in the Group’s ownership interest in the SPE;
- changes in contractual or governance arrangements of the SPE;
- additional activities undertaken in the structure; for example, providing a liquidity facility beyond the terms established originally or entering into a transaction with an SPE that was not contemplated originally; and
- changes in the financing structure of the entity.
In addition, when the Group concludes that the SPE might require additional support to continue in business, and such support was not contemplated originally, and, if required, the Group would provide such support for reputational or other reasons, the Group will reassess the need to consolidate the SPE.
The reassessment of control over the existing SPEs does not automatically lead to consolidation or deconsolidation. In making such a reassessment the Group may need to change its assumptions with respect to loss probabilities, the likelihood of additional liquidity facilities being drawn in the future and the likelihood of future actions being taken for reputational or other purposes. All currently available information, including current market parameters and expectations (such as loss expectations on assets), which would incorporate any market changes since inception of the SPE, are used in the reassessment of consolidation conclusions.
The purchase method of accounting is used to account for the acquisition of subsidiaries. The cost of an acquisition is measured at the
fair value of the assets given, equity instruments issued and liabilities incurred or assumed, plus any costs directly related to the acquisition. The excess of the cost of an acquisition over the Group’s share of the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired is recorded as
goodwill. If the acquisition cost is below the fair value of the identifiable net assets (negative goodwill), a gain may be reported in other income.
All intercompany transactions, balances and unrealized gains on transactions between Group companies are eliminated on consolidation. Consistent accounting policies are applied throughout the Group for the purposes of consolidation. Issuances of a subsidiary’s stock to third parties are treated as capital issuances.
Assets held in an agency or fiduciary capacity are not assets of the Group and are not included in the Group’s consolidated balance sheet.
Minority interests are shown in the consolidated balance sheet as a separate component of equity which is distinct from Deutsche Bank’s shareholders’ equity. The net income attributable to minority interests is separately disclosed on the face of the consolidated income statement.
ASSOCIATES AND Jointly controlled entities
An associate is an entity in which the Group has significant influence, but not a controlling interest, over the operating and financial management policy decisions of the entity. Significant influence is generally presumed when the Group holds between 20% and 50% of the voting rights. The existence and effect of potential voting rights that are currently exercisable or convertible are considered in assessing whether the Group has significant influence. Among the other factors that are considered in determining whether the Group has significant influence are representation on the board of directors (supervisory board in the case of German stock corporations) and material intercompany transactions. The existence of these factors could require the application of the
equity method of accounting for a particular investment even though the Group’s investment is for less than 20% of the voting stock.
A jointly controlled entity exists when the Group has a contractual arrangement with one or more parties to undertake activities through entities which are subject to joint control.
Investments in associates and jointly controlled entities are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The Group’s share of the results of associates and jointly controlled entities is adjusted to conform with the accounting policies of the Group. Unrealized gains on transactions are eliminated to the extent of the Group’s interest in the investee.
Under the equity method of accounting, the Group’s investments in associates and jointly controlled entities are initially recorded at cost, and subsequently increased (or decreased) to reflect both the Group’s pro-rata share of the post-acquisition net income (or loss) of the associate or jointly controlled entity and other movements included directly in the equity of the associate or jointly controlled entity. Goodwill arising on the acquisition of an associate or a jointly- controlled entity is included in the carrying value of the investment (net of any accumulated impairment loss).
Equity method losses in excess of the Group’s carrying value of the investment in the entity are charged against other assets held by the Group related to the investee. If those assets are written down to zero, a determination is made whether to report additional losses based on the Group’s obligation to fund such losses.

