deutsche bank ag beat expectations and posted a rise in fourthquarter profit in a further sign the bank has stabilized it is paying a dividend to shareholders for the first time since 2019 like major investment banks in the us deutsche bank posted bumper profits during the pandemic client activity boomed as companies raised huge amounts of capital and markets entered a furious period of trading those trends have started to fade in recent months but deutsche banks other units picked up steam in the fourth quarter including its business catering to corporate clients the german lender on thursday said that net profit rose 67 to 315 million euros 3541 million in the last three months of 2021 analysts had forecast a profit of eur26 million helping the results was a tax benefit of eur234 million revenue rose 8 even though costs increased chief executive christian sewing said the bank remains on track to meet financial targets this year including an 8 return on tangible equitya key metric for profitability deutsche bank launched a major overhaul in 2019 that promised to scale back its wall street presence and cut costs higher expenses related to regulatory obligations has made it harder to meet those cost goals like other global banks it is also seeing compensation costs for bankers increase deutsche bank posted its second straight year of profit at eur25 billionits highest since 2011opening the door for a dividend payout of eur020 a share its first since 2019 the bank also said it is buying back eur300 million in shares in the first half of this year the first step in its commitment to returning eur5 billion to shareholders over time in march mr sewing will unveil the banks strategy and new goals for the years ahead the banks breadandbutter lending business is expected to improve as central banks around the world raise interest rates negative interest rates in the eurozone have made it difficult for institutions such as deutsche bank to earn money on the difference between what it pays for deposits and what it charges to lend deutsche banks future also hinges on whether it can stay away from the types of trouble with regulators and authorities that have long dogged the bank in december the wall street journal reported that the us justice department informed the bank that it might have violated a criminal settlement when it failed to tell prosecutors about an internal complaint over the sustainableinvesting business of its assetmanagement arm dws group