DEUTSCHE BANK (net profits of EUR 2.6 billion in 1999 with a balance sheet total of EUR 840 billion and 92,000 employees) and DRESDNER BANK (net profits of EUR 950 million in 1998 with a balance sheet total of EUR 410 billion and 50,000 employees), respectively numbers one and three in finance in Germany, are negotiating a 50-50 merger that could lead to creation of the world's biggest banking group, in terms of balance sheet total.