Vienna Stock Exchange Reaches New All-Time High in First Half of 2024
The Vienna Stock Exchange recorded a remarkable upward trend in the first half of 2024, taking the ATX Total Return (including dividends) to a new all-time high. The leading national index surpassed its previous high of February 9, 2022 (8,251.98 points) several times and reached its most recent record of 8,566.58 points on May 21, 2024.
The Vienna Stock Exchange can look back on an upward trend in the first half of 2024. / Picture: © Wiener Börse AG / VSE Vienna Stock Exchange
The ATX Total Return rose by 10.17% year-on-year (as of June 28, 2024), while the ATX excluding dividends rose by 5.08%. This performance also outperforms the German DAX, which rose by 8.86% including dividends. S IMMO AG (+76.00%), Addiko Bank AG (+49.81%), and FACC AG (+38.94%) performed particularly strongly in the ATX Prime.
Share turnover in Vienna is on the rise again, despite the generally subdued trading activity in Europe. In the second quarter of 2024, turnover increased significantly compared to the previous year: April recorded EUR 5.21 billion (2023: EUR 3.83 billion), May EUR 5.10 billion (2023: EUR 4.52 billion) and June EUR 6.37 billion (2023: EUR 4.55 billion). The average monthly equity turnover in the first half of the year amounted to EUR 5.16 billion.
The Vienna Stock Exchange also set a historic record for bond listings in the first half of 2024. With 6,116 newly listed bonds up to June 28, 2024, this was the strongest first half-year in the history of the Vienna Stock Exchange. The exchange is thus consolidating its position as one of the most active bond listing venues in Europe, currently serving over 1,000 active bond issuers from 39 countries with a total volume of around EUR 800 billion.
Focus on sustainability
The Vienna Stock Exchange continues to score points with issuers with an ESG (environmental, social, and governance) focus. Significant placements in the first half of the year included UniCredit Bank Austria AG with EUR 750 million and the energy supplier VERBUND AG with EUR 500 million in green bonds listed in the Vienna ESG segment.
Market capitalization and investments
The market capitalization of all companies listed in Vienna amounted to EUR 130.21 billion at the end of June 2024. Stock Exchange CEO Christoph Boschan emphasizes the importance of dividends for investors: "The average dividend yield in Austria is 5.7 percent. This underlines the resilience and attractiveness of Austria's leading companies for international investors."
Political support required
Boschan is also calling for greater political support for the European capital markets: "To sustainably increase the liquidity of the European capital markets, we need the political will to create substantial capital collection points. Pension funds should invest more in listed companies, as capital market-oriented pension provision makes a lot of sense."
In the first half of 2024, the Vienna Stock Exchange impressively demonstrated that it remains an attractive and dynamic financial center despite economic uncertainties and subdued trading activity across Europe.