DWS has adopted the Deutsche Asset Management brand to support its global growth ambitions.
It marks a return of a brand that was retired in December 2017.
Stefan Hoops, chief executive of DWS Group, said the move would give the firm a clearer and more recognisable global identity.
“Deutsche Asset Management gives us a clear global umbrella, which frankly beats explaining ourselves in every meeting,” he said.
The new brand became active this week and will be rolled out in phases until March 2027. It will sit above the firm’s existing investment franchises, including DWS, Xtrackers and RREEF, while fund names and specialist business brands remain unchanged.
Hoops said the rebrand would simplify how the company presents itself internationally, particularly in Asia, the US, the Middle East and the UK, where employees have often described DWS as Deutsche Bank’s asset management arm.
“Active, alpha-seeking asset management is the nucleus of our firm,” he said. “DWS will remain at the heart of that, now as our sub-brand for active investing and private wealth in Europe, alongside Xtrackers for ETFs and RREEF for US real estate, brought together under Deutsche Asset Management.”
The chief executive said the group was building on the global recognition of Deutsche Bank’s name while retaining its own identity as an independently listed asset manager. He noted that Deutsche Asset Management was also a familiar brand inside the organisation, having been used when he joined Deutsche Bank as a graduate in 2003.
The parent company will remain DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and continue trading under the DWS ticker.
The rebrand marks the latest stage in the firm’s growth strategy after completing the strategic cycle launched at its 2022 Capital Markets Day and following its promotion to Germany’s MDAX index in 2025.
DWS manages approximately €1tn in assets and is competing with global asset management groups including BlackRock, Amundi, UBS Asset Management and Legal & General Investment Management, as firms increasingly invest in internationally recognised brands to attract institutional and cross-border investment mandates.