Deutsche Bank AG (DB) said Thursday it has reached an agreement to sell its private banking unit BHF Bank to RHJ International International SA's (RHJI.BT) unit Kleinwort Benson Group, confirming a report Wednesday by Dow Jones Newswires.

Russia's number two bank, state-controlled VTB Group (VTBR.RS), said its net profit in the second quarter dropped 63% to 10.3 billion rubles ($326.7 million), as it struggled with "substantial volatility and a challenging market environment." MAIN FACTS: -Net profit dropped 63% to RUB10.3 billion

Australia's banks received "full marks" in an International Monetary Fund stress test considering the possibility of a severe recession hitting the resource-rich country.

Bank shareholders and investors should be prepared to accept greater risk in banking operations rather than laying the responsibility for bailouts on governments and taxpayers, a newspaper reported European Central Bank governing council member Erkki Liikanen as saying.

Companies controlled by the Polish state, mainly in the energy sector or copper miner KGHM Polska Miedz SA (KGH.WA), should sell assets not used in their core activities, Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budznowski said Thursday.

The U.K. Competition Commission said Thursday it provisionally rules against the Akzo Nobel N.V.

The independent regulator and competition authority for the U.K communications industries Ofcom, said Thursday it considers that, on the evidence currently available and having taken into account all the relevant factors, Sky is fit and proper to hold its broadcast licenses.

Swiss watch exports climbed 5.2% on year in August driven by continuing robust demand from Asia, data released Thursday by Switzerland's customs office showed.

Plans for a possible expansion of ExxonMobil Corp's (XOM) US$15.7 billion PNG LNG project in Papua New Guinea suffered a slight setback after an exploration well failed to discover any natural gas.

A China-based life-insurance joint venture between Prudential Financial Inc. (PRU) and Fosun International Ltd. (0656.HK) has approval from the China regulator to commence business, according to Prudential Financial.