Deutsche Bank AG, Germany's biggest bank, will write down 2.5 billion euros ($3.9 billion) of loans and asset-backed securities and said markets are d

``Conditions have become significantly more challenging during the last few weeks,'' Deutsche Bank said today in a statement. The Frankfurt-based company's shares, which have declined 17 percent this year, rose on speculation the worst of the losses in the banking industry may almost be over. Deutsche Bank AG, Germany's biggest bank, will write down 2.5 billion euros ($3.9 billion) of loans and asset-backed securities and said markets are deteriorating.
Deutsche Bank, which increased earnings in 2007, said a week ago its 2008 pretax profit target is under threat. Chief Executive Officer Josef Ackerman cited ``difficult'' market and economic conditions. UBS AG said today Chairman Marcel Ospel will depart after reporting an extra $19 billion of writedowns.
``The subprime crisis is catching up to Deutsche Bank,'' said Konrad Becker, a Munich-based analyst at Merck Finck & Co. who recommends holding the shares. ``This means that Deutsche Bank is at risk of reporting a first-quarter pretax loss.''
Deutsche Bank rose 2.9 percent to 73.81 euros at 1:05 p.m. in Frankfurt trading. The 60-member Bloomberg Europe Banks and Financial Services Index gained 2.2 percent, cutting this year's decline to 16 percent.
``The immediate stock reaction is hope among investors that we've touched bottom,'' said Derek Chambers, an analyst at Standard & Poor's Equity Research in London who has a ``hold'' rating on Deutsche Bank. ``Deutsche Bank shares are reacting more to the general financial sector trend than anything else.'' Deutsche Bank said today it will cut the value of leveraged-buyout and commercial real-estate loans and residential mortgage-backed securities in the first quarter. Markdowns on assets backed by residential mortgages ``principally'' involve 7.91 billion euros of so-called ALT-A mortgages, which fall between subprime and prime, the bank said.
``The market was prepared,'' said Thomas Nagel, a Frankfurt-based trader at Equinet AG. ``Bank stocks could even being nearing a turnaround because the drops have been exaggerated.'' Ackerman, attending a banking conference in London today, wouldn't answer questions. Deutsche Bank spokesman Christian Streckert cited last week's annual report when asked today about the 2008 pretax profit forecast of 8.4 billion euros, which excludes one-time effects. The bank on March 26 said writedowns and a worsening economy would ``adversely affect our ability to achieve our pretax profitability objective.''