Lone Star could sell IKB to Helaba

Since 2008, Düsseldorf-based IKB Deutsche Industriebank has been owned by the U.S. private equity firm Lone Star Funds, following a failed speculative investment and a bailout. Several attempts to sell the bank have since failed, however. Now a decision appears to be on the horizon: The Hessian-Thuringian State Bank (Helaba) apparently intends to join the bidding—in part to boost its recently declining earnings through IKB’s small and medium-sized business operations. But Crédit Agricole was also recently considered to be interested…