Vienna International Banking Industry News
Read the latest headlines about developments in the international banking industry in Vienna and Austria
Bank Union: Austrian Banking Industry Cautious
European Forum Alpbach: In mid-September, the EU Commission will present its plans regarding the bank union. The bank union should not be implemented too fast, the Austrian Financial Market Authority says.
September 1, 2012
Outstanding Foreign Currency Loan Volumes Continue to Fall
The Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) publishes its quarterly survey on changes in foreign currency loans.
September 1, 2012
RLB Lower Austria – Vienna Decreasing Net Income
RLB (Raiffeisenlandesbank) Lower Austria-Vienna published its results for the first six months of 2012. Net income and operating profit were down.
September 1, 2012
Capital Shortfall at Hypo Group up to € 2.0bn
OeNB (Austrian Central Bank) will publish the capital shortfall at the end of September and emphasizes not to submit to the government´s pressure.
September 1, 2012
Croatian Crisis Aggravates
For Croatia, the end of the severe recession is not foreseeable. Croatia´s real economy is hit hard, the financial sector suffers from bad loans.
August 31, 2012
Slovenia in a Vicious Circle
Slovenia´s Prime Minister Janez Jansa warns that his country may has to announce its national bankruptcy in October.
August 31, 2012
Satisfactory Half Year Result for VBAG
Österreichische Volksbanken-Aktiengesellschaft (VBAG) Group has ended the first six months of 2012 with a result before taxes of € 49m.
August 31, 2012
Nowotny: Austrian Banking Sector “More Boring, but More Stable”
European Forum Alpbach: Ewald Nowotny, governor of the Austrian Central Bank (OeNB) thinks that banks will fight for deposits in future. In the last years, ECB had to prevent a collapse of the financial system several times.
August 31, 2012
Pribil: „ECB Must Not Become Safe Haven for Zombie Banks”
At the European Forum Alpbach, the Director of the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) Kurt Pribil stresses the importance of a centralized banking supervision authority.
August 31, 2012
Debt Crisis: “Somebody Will Have to Pay”
European Forum Alpbach 2012: Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group thinks that the internationalization of the banking industry cannot be reversed. According to Treichl, the European citizens will have to pay for the crisis.
August 30, 2012
RZB Posts Moderate Profit Increase
RZB´s (Raiffeisen Zentralbank) profit before tax rose 6.2 per cent to € 931m. Return on Equity increased mildly to 16.2 per cent (+0.4 percentage points)
August 29, 2012
RBI Improves Results
Raiffeisen Bank International's consolidated profit for the first half of 2012 rises by 13.9 per cent to € 701m. The net interest income was down by 3.6%. The second quarter´s results were down.
August 29, 2012
Bawag´s Profit Is Decreasing
In the first half of 2012, Bawag´s earnings were down moderately. The net income declined by 14%.
August 28, 2012
Goldman Sachs Lowers Expectations for Austrian Banks
The U.S. investment bank anticipates decreasing earnings.
August 27, 2012
Crisis in Eurozone: Stepic Is Optimistic
In an interview with the Austrian newspaper “Presse”, RBI´s CEO Herbert Stepic expects that the crisis will be managed until 2015.
August 25, 2012
Bulgaria: Bad Loans Declining
Contrary to the trend in Southeastern Europe, the Bulgarian banking sector records a substantial relief.
August 25, 2012
Austrian Business Lending On the Rise
In the second quarter of 2012, business loans were up by 2.8%. By contrast, lending in the Eurozone decreased by 0.6%.
August 24, 2012
NKBM Suspected of Money Laudnering
The second-largest Slovenian bank does not only face financial problems. NKBM´s management is alleged to have practiced money laundering activities.
August 23, 2012
Fekter Does Not Exclude Further Bank Aids Anymore
Austria´s Finance Minister Maria Fekter admits that the three nationalized banks Hypo Group and Kommunalkredit/KA Finanz may need further capital injections. In the past, Fekter denied the need of further bank aids.
August 23, 2012
Bawag May Sell Leasing Unit
The Austrian lender Bawag, which is owned by the U.S. investment fund Cerberus, is said to sell its leasing business.
August 23, 2012
Croatia: Non-Performing Loans on the Rise
Almost one out of seven loans is classified as “non-performing.” A further aggravation is rather likely.
August 22, 2012
Several Potential Buyers for Kommunalkredit
In 2013, the nationalized Austrian bank must be re-privatized. The buyer won´t be an Austrian bank.
August 21, 2012
Lay-Offs in Polish Banking Sector Ahead
According to the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, about 2,500 employees may lose their jobs in the banking industry.
August 21, 2012
Ukraine's Banking System Demonstrates a “Sustainable Development”
Deputy Head of the National Bank of Ukraine Igor Sorkin commented on the situation in the Ukraine’s banking system for the first half-year 2012. Lending is on the rise.
August 21, 2012
Hypo Group: Major Risk Factor for BayernLB
The former owner of Hypo Group Alpe Adria, which was nationalized in 2009, may write down up to € 3.1bn.
August 18, 2012
VBAG to Sell Container Business
The Austrian partly nationalized bank is said to sell its container leasing business for € 163m.
August 18, 2012
Foreign Currency Loans Decrasing
Foreign currency loans: One quarter of all Erste Bank customers have converted or switched loans with payment vehicles.
August 17, 2012
Dispute Over Hypo Group
Despite the relatively good results, the nationalized bank needs further capital injections. What is more, the capital shortfall at Hypo Group is highly controversial.
August 16, 2012
Croatian Banks Record Lower Profits
In the first six months of 2012, the net income generated by Croatian banks was down by 19%. The Croatian economy is expected to shrink this year.
August 16, 2012
Non-Perfoming Loans on the Rise in Austria
In the last three years, the size of non-performing loans held by Austrian banks has doubled. At the end of 2011, the NPL volume stood at € 18bn.
August 16, 2012
Demerger at Hypo Group Resolved
In order to become re-sold, the Austrian subsidiary of Hypo Group shifts risky assets to the holding company.
August 14, 2012
Slovenia to Establish a Bad Bank
The Slovenian government wants to support the financially stricken banking sector. Risky assets should be outsourced to separate banks.
August 14, 2012
Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank in the Red Again
Today, the nationalized bank announced its half yearly result for 2012. Net Results reached € 10m.
August 13, 2012
Hypo Alpe Adria Divests TLM-TVP in Croatia
The nationalized Austrian bank successfully has sold the aluminum hot-rolling mill TLM-TVP d.o.o. in Croatia to the Vienna-based Euris.
August 13, 2012
Profits Grow Slower in Polish Banking Sector
The Polish banking sector is still very stable. However, a trend reversal is foreseeable.
August 10, 2012
Fitch Downgrades Slovenian Banks
The U.S. rating agency downgrades the lown-term ratings of major Slovenian banks. The outlook is negative for all of them.
August 10, 2012
Hungary: Erste Group Expands
The Austria major bank purchases the private banking segment of BNP Paribas in Hungary.
August 9, 2012
conwert takes over residential portfolio in Berlin
Residential property portfolio acquired at high two-digit million amount . Economies of scale possible through significant expansion of conwert’s portfolio in Berlin
August 9, 2012
East European Banking Industry Shows Ambiguity
For West European banks, their subsidiaries in Eastern Europe are either highly problematic or the cash cows.
August 8, 2012
Fitch Downgrades Slovenia
The Southern neighbor country of Austria was downgraded to “A-“. The outlook is negative now.
August 8, 2012
S&P Confirms Bank Austria´s Rating
Due to the downgrade of the holding company UniCredit, the U.S. rating agency retains the negative outlook for Bank Austria.
August 8, 2012
FMA Pushes for Bank Insolvency Law
The Austrian Financial Market Authority increases pressure on the government. Director Helmut Ettl says the Austria needs an insolvency law for banks as soon as possible.
August 7, 2012
Austrians Tend to Save Less
Erste Bank 2nd Quarter Savings and Credit Forecast: Half of Austrians expect an economic upswing within the next two years. The average savings amount drops further to € 4,617.
August 7, 2012
No Merger Between VBAG and Bawag
Bawag´s CEO Byron Haynes reaffirmed that U.S. owned bank is not interested in a merger with the partly nationalized VBAG.
August 6, 2012
Kommunalkredit´s KA Finanz Needs New Guarantees
Because of its exposure in Greece, the nationalized Austrian lender needs further guarantees from the Austrian state.
August 6, 2012
Again Downgrades in Slovenian Banking Sector
Last week, Moody´s downgraded big Slovenian banks. Now, S&P puts the domestic banking industry under even more pressure.
August 6, 2012
Bank Austria as UniCredit´s Cash Cow
Without Bank Austria, UniCredit would have been in the loss area. The CESEE region is still Bank Austria´s future market.
August 4, 2012
Kommunalkredit: Small Profit, Big Risks
In the first six months, the nationalized Austrian Kommunalkredit bank could generate a net income of € 16.2m. Further capital injections are likely.
August 4, 2012
Moody´s Downgrades Slovenia
Today, the U.S. rating agency has downgraded the Western Balkan country by three notches to „Baa2“ from „A2“.
August 3, 2012
Rising Profit at Bank Austria
Bank Austria posts net profit of € 646m for the first six months. Net operating profit was up by 11.1 per cent. Lending volume rises by 3.3 per cent to € 136bn.
August 3, 2012
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