[ by Melanie Gretchen ]

Barclays and Deutsche Bank have targeted investment bankers' bonuses among the next cost-cutting measures.  At the British bank, the new CEO at Barclays, Antony Jenkins, has pledged to cut pay to increase returns for investors.  In the last year, the German's flaghship bank has restructured, amid pressure from regulators, to clamp down on short-term rewards.

The Numbers. The British bank will cut up bonuses by between 10% to 20% on average, while the German bank will cut bonuses for 2012 by 15% to 20%.  Across the industry, 2012 industry bonuses could fall as much as 30% compared with 2011 levels.  In addition to tougher regulations, banks face regulators pressing them to clamp down on short-term rewards that can encourage risk taking.

At Deutsche Bank, co-Chief Executive Anshu Jain, who previously ran the investment bank, said in September the payout ratio - the proportion of net revenues set aside for banker pay - would come down.  At Barclays, Mr. Jenkins aspires to cut compensation in the investment bank to 39% of its income for 2012, down from 47% in 2011.

"We are on a path to continue to drive this (compensation-to-income) ratio down, but always with an eye to being competitive. We believe that we are in the top quartile with this ratio, but we expect to continue to reduce it over time." -- Mr. Jenkins, speaking to analysts in October.

For further details, go to [CNBC, 1/14/13].