Deutsche Bank has a global footprint, with particular strength in Europe and its homeland of Germany. With roots that date back to 1870, Deutsche Bank made its first major bank acquisition outside of Germany in 1986, purchasing Banca d'America e d'Italia. Subsequent acquisitions included the Morgan Grenfell Group (1989), the U.S. firm Bankers Trust (1999), the U.S. asset manager Scudder Investments (2002), the Swiss private bank Rued Blass & Cie (2003), and the Russian investment bank United Financial Group (2006).

Today, Deutsche Bank's international presence encompasses retail banking branches, corporate and investment banking, and asset management. It's made up of three main divisions: corporate and investment bank, private clients and asset management, and corporate investments. Deutsche Bank's corporate and investment bank group oversees the capital markets (origination, sales, and trading), corporate advisory, corporate lending, and transaction banking businesses. It also oversees mergers and acquisitions, and gives general corporate finance advice primarily to global corporations, financial institutions, and sovereign entities. The asset management group at Deutsche Bank is one of the largest asset managers in the world.