Natixis CIB

Natixis CIB is an investment and corporate bank based in France. Natixis CIB is the result of the merger of the investment banking capabilities and asset management of Natexis Banque Populaire and IXIS, the investment banking arm the Caisse d’Epargne group. This was a result of the merger of the retail banks Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne to create the BPCE group. Natixis is based in Paris and employs over 22,000 people. It has half a trillion dollars assets under management. It is the owner of the leading trade financing company Coface.

There are three product lines offered by Natixis CIB; Corporate and Investment Banking, Investment Solutions and Specialized Financial Services. Corporate and Investment Banking is a traditional investment bank that offers both services for companies that need treasury services or capital raising capabilities. The Investment Solutions business offers investment services to wealthy individuals that usually come from the retail banking networks. It offers asset management, private banking and insurance. The asset management firm is the fourteenth largest in the world offering $630 million. The private banking network includes the Banque Privée Saint Dominique. The Specialized Financing division is mainly based around its marketing leading subsidiary, Coface, the former French government agency dealing with receivables management.

Natixis CIB was created as an investment bank in November 2006 as a result of the merger of the two parent companies Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne to create the BPCE group. The Banque Populaire component was known as Natexis Banque Populaire and the Caisse d’Epargne component was called IXIS. The combined name, Natixis, reflects both components. It was one of the biggest European losers in the Ponzi scheme operated by Bernie Madoff, losing more than $450 million.

BPCE is the fourth largest bank in France which is 70% owned by Banque Populaire and the Caisse d’Epargne. The other 30% is owned by the general public and investment institutions through the Parisian Stock Exchange.

The Groupe Banque Populaire is a collection of French banks based on co-operative principles. It is controlled by 18 regional banks and was founded in 1878. It employs 34,500 people, has three and a half million members who have similar rights to shareholders, nine and a half million clients and 3,391 branches in France (with a presence in 69 other countries).

The Groupe Caisse d’Epargne had an investment bank called IXIS. The group was founded in 1818 and was the larger of the two companies, having 52,000 employees in 4,700 branches throughout France. It also controls the private bank Banque Palatine, the mortgage bank Credit Foncier and Finance Ocear which dealt with French overseas departments. It also controlled a private wealth management company called La Compagnie 1818 which has since been merged into Natixis.

Coface, or the Compagnie Française d'Assurance pour le Commerce Extérieur, is a world leader in providing credit information and protection. It was founded by the French government in 1946 in order to promote international trade and has since been privatized. Although it was set up for exporters it provides credit insurance and lending on accounts receivable for both domestic and international customers. It has a genuine worldwide presence and is one of the most international elements of Natixis. Its risk ratings of countries are publicly available and seen by many as the standard for risk ratings for companies from these countries.