Does RBI Need a Partner?

Businessn.a. ♦ Published: July 17, 2013; 22:21 ♦ (Vindobona)

The Austrian “Wiener Zeitung” reports that RBI (Raiffeisenbank International), the second-biggest lender in the CESEE region, has a capital requirement of more than € 5.0bn.

Does RBI Need a Partner? / Picture: © Raiffeisen Bank International AG / S. Klimpt

In the last years, rating agencies often criticized the moderate equity base of Austrian banks. At the moment, the risk-adjusted capital ratio of Erste Group, RZB and UniCredit reaches about 5.5 %. S&P considers a ratio between 7 % and 10 % as adequate. Although the earnings situation is improving, it is not enough to build up the necessary capital, S&P states.…