The transport bank posted a gain before tax and IAS 39 of EUR 116.8m ($130.98m) in 2014, up by 10% on a year earlier.

Wolfgang Driese, chief executive of DVB, explained: "We achieved good results overall for 2014.

“However, our performance was significantly compromised by expansive monetary policy from central banks, and by the ECB's Asset Quality Review of our Shipping Finance division - which affected us over a period of nine months.”