section_path: Crisis/Business/Foreign investment
section_name: Foreign investment
paragraph_text: Foreign investment
  
  BNP Paribas Real Estate reported that foreign buyers accounted for 35% of purchases of commercial property in the first quarter of 2024. This figure represented the lowest level of foreign investment since 2013, and marked a decline from 37% in 2023. The decrease in foreign investment was attributed to several factors, including high inflation rates and concerns about a potential recession in Germany.
  
  Deutsche Bahn, Germany's national railway operator, agreed to sell its logistics subsidiary, Schenker, to Danish competitor DSV for approximately €14 billion. Germany's second-largest private lender Commerzbank became a potential target for acquisition. Italian bank UniCredit increased its stake in Commerzbank to 21%, leading to speculation about a possible takeover. Some German companies, such as BASF, invested significantly in facilities abroad. BASF committed €10 billion to a new factory in China. These developments were viewed by economists as natural consequences of economic stagnation and structural changes. The trend of German companies investing more heavily abroad than domestically raised questions about the country's attractiveness as a business location.