China's HNA becomes Deutsche Bank's biggest stakeholder

Crew members get off a plane of Hainan Airlines, a subsidiary of HNA Group Co, after landing at Nansha Islands. [Photo provided to China Daily]

China’s aviation and real estate conglomerate HNA Group Co has increased its stake in Deutsche Bank AG to 9.92 percent, overtaking Blackrock as the biggest shareholder, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

HNA, which holds the stake via investment vehicle C-Quadrat, initially reported a 3.04 percent stake in the Germany's biggest lender in February before increasing its holding.

The investments came as the bank sought to boost its capital with an 8 billion euros share offering.

HNA Group has been on an acquisition spree to expand from its traditional business into financial services. According to Bloomberg, the company spent $30 billion on deals over the past year, acquiring stakes in Swiss duty-free operator Dufry, Singapore-based logistics provider CWT, and hotel operator Hilton Worldwide Holdings.

The company now operates in businesses including aviation, logistics, finance, real estate, hospitality, tourism and ecological technology.