How Commerzbank sees the future of finance

Developments in technology, sustainability, and global competition will reshape financial institutions. In a conversation at RBC Capital Markets’ Global Financial Institutions Conference, Dr. Bettina Orlopp, CEO of Germany’s Commerzbank, explains her organization’s approach to these forces.

What will be the long-term economic impacts of the war in the Middle East? And how will markets look when attention finally returns to the beleaguered software and private credit sectors? At RBC Capital Markets’ Financial Institutions Conference, Head of Equity Derivatives Strategy Amy Wu Silverman and U.S. Equities Macro Thematic Specialist Ben Fisher analyzed the likely effects of volatility on multiple fronts.

As geopolitical tensions in the Middle East raise the prospect of a more prolonged energy shock, how should investors think about the implications for inflation, consumer behavior, and markets? Global Head of Commodity Strategy Helima Croft, Chief Economist Frances Donald, and Head of U.S. Equity Strategy Lori Calvasina discuss what a disruption in oil supply could mean for the macro outlook — and why the longer‑term picture may be more resilient than headlines suggest.

As electricity demand surges, geopolitical risks increase, and the physical impacts of climate change escalate, how are investors responding? In this episode, RBC Capital Markets' Global Head of Sustainable Finance Sarah Thompson reflects on the outlook for the market in the light of new global realities, in discussion with Moses Choi, Head of U.S. Sustainable Finance, and Stefano Vitali, Head of Europe and Asia Pacific Sustainable Finance.

The current AI cycle, fueled by an unprecedented compute upgrade, is driving a fundamental economic shift. In this panel discussion at this year’s TIMT Conference, Matthew Hedberg, Head of Global TIMT Research, joins John Borthwick, Founder and CEO, Betaworks; Dave Golob, Chief Investment Officer, Francisco Partners; and Greg Turorto, Portfolio Manager, Goldman Sachs, to discuss how investors can navigate future opportunities while avoiding potential investment pitfalls.

Once synonymous with passive, index-based investing, ETFs have become a vehicle for active managers seeking to deliver differentiated returns. Today, active ETFs now outnumber passive funds among US-listed exchange-traded products for the first time.Scott Davis, Head of ETFs at Capital Group, joins us on this episode of ETF Innovators to discuss how the firm integrates over 90 years of investment expertise into modern ETF structures.

Tariffs, currency pressures, a property slump: China faces challenges on multiple fronts. Meanwhile, Australia’s resilient economy risks triggering inflation. How will these and other factors affect the region’s economies in 2026? Joining Rod Ireland, Head of Global Markets for APAC, to break down the outlook are Abbas Keshvani, Asia Macro Strategist, and Rob Thompson, Macro Rates Strategist.

With government spend poised to spike, defense valuations in Europe are at record highs. But the response to global threats brings opportunities for a much wider set of industrials and innovators. Dominic Hudson, Head of Investment Banking for Europe and APAC, is joined by Cliff Bayer, Head of Aerospace, Defense and Government Services; Rob Jurd, Head of Industrials for Europe; and Claire Sturgess, Head of Canadian Industrials and CME Investment Banking, to explore the sector’s outlook for 2026.

As rocketing demand growth collides with real supply constraints, how can energy, power, and mining players fund and deliver the large-scale projects required? Joining Trevor Gardner, Head of Investment Banking Coverage, to survey the sectors’ outlook for 2026 are Chris Redgate, Head of Canadian Energy Investment Banking; Craig Edgar, Managing Director, Power Utilities and Infrastructure; and Farid Dadashev, Global Co-Head of Mining and Metals.

Domestic demand is on the rise in Europe. In the U.K., the labor market shows promising shifts. Could these trends help both economies in their battle with poor productivity and low growth? Sian Hurrell, Head of RBC Capital Markets Europe, is joined by Global Macro Strategist Peter Schaffrik and Senior U.K. Economist Cathal Kennedy to explore the forces shaping the economic outlook for 2026.