FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany is holding high-level talks to facilitate a possible merger of the nation's two largest private banks - Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank - Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
Spokesmen for the two banks declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Germany's finance ministry said there was nothing she could say about the report.
The discussions include possible ways to change laws to make a merger cheaper, Bloomberg reported. Talks are in an exploratory phase, the report said.
Shares of Deutsche Bank spiked 6.5 percent, while Commerzbank jumped 7.1 percent.
Speculation about a possible tie-up between the two banks has been rife this year. Last week Focus magazine reported that the German government was ready to orchestrate a merger between them.
Senior officials at both lenders have played down chances of a merger over the next 12 to 18 months as they restructure their companies to make them profitable.
(Reporting by Tom Sims; Editing by Michelle Martin and Maria Sheahan)
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