French investment bank BNP Paribas has completed the acquisition of its long-standing partner and equity brokerage Exane.

BNP Paribas has acquired the remaining 50 percent stake in Exane that it has held throughout its 17-year partnership with Exane in a deal that will bring the bank’s cash equities trading and research and derivatives activities back in-house.

The development will boost BNP Paribas’ position in European equities following its major deal with Deutsche Bank in 2019 to take on the German institution’s electronic equities and prime brokerage clients, adding roughly $200 billion of assets to BNP Paribas.

Earlier this year, BNP Paribas outlined plans to roll out an expanded prime services division following the integration of Deutsche Bank’s clients. The bank said during its fourth quarter 2020 earnings call that it expects the integration to be completed at the end of this year.

The expanded unit will see BNP Paribas’ prime services become more closely linked with Exane under plans to develop the equity business within the corporate and investment bank division.