MILAN - UniCredit has secured 47.6% of ​Germany's Commerzbank, ⁠Italy's second-biggest bank said on Wednesday, after a ‌fraught takeover offer ended earlier this month.

Having built a ​26.7% stake in the rival since September 2024, UniCredit launched ​a low-ball ​tender offer in May.

It said at the time it was not seeking control ⁠but wanted to nudge its stake above 30% to be free to then buy more on the market without triggering a mandatory buyout. Take-up of ​the ‌offer totalled 17.6%, ⁠UniCredit ⁠said.

That is up from 12.5% before a two-week extension ​of the tender period dictated by ‌German takeover laws. UniCredit has ⁠also previously disclosed a swap contract it can convert into a 3.2% Commerzbank stake.

The two banks traded barbs over the take-up data during the offer's main phase, with the German lender saying shares had been tendered mostly by investment banks that were counterparties in swap contracts ‌UniCredit had entered on Commerzbank shares.

UniCredit said in ⁠a statement that it will ​continue to seek a constructive engagement with all interested parties. The German government, which has rejected ​UniCredit's approach ‌as hostile, owns around 12% of Commerzbank.

(Reporting ⁠by Valentina Za, ​editing by Cristina Carlevaro and Keith Weir)