Vienna International Banking Industry News

Read the latest headlines about developments in the international banking industry in Vienna and Austria

Rothensteiner: Return to Drachma would be „Utter Chaos“

The CEO of the Austrian RZB (Raiffeisen Zentralbank) warns of a Greek exit. At the moment, there would be not contagiousness for Spain or Italy.

May 21, 2012

Solid Results at RLB Carinthia

According to preliminary results, RLB Carinthia (Raiffeisenlandesbank Kärnten) reached operating profits of € 34.5m in 2011. The insolvent AvW is still a massive risk factor, however.

May 19, 2012

Greek Exit: € 5.0bn Costs for Austria „In the Best Case“

Bank Austria´s chief economist Stefan Bruckbauer warns of exorbitant costs in case of a Greek exit out of the Eurozone. A common solution would be the better alternative.

May 19, 2012

BCR: Treichl Expects Soon Recovery

Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group, anticipates a soon recovery of the Romanian subsidiary Banka Comerciala Romana.

May 19, 2012

Downsizing Program at Hypo Tirol

After the major losses in 2011, the Austrian regional bank is obliged to withdraw from Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

May 19, 2012

RBI: Rise in Earnings Predicted

The Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International will report its first quarter results on May 24. A 94% increase in earnings is expected.

May 18, 2012

Record Results at RWA

Raiffeisen Ware Austria achieved an increase in revenues of 26%. EBIT rose by 23.3%.

May 16, 2012

Bank Secret: EU Commission is Frustrated

The European Commission is dissatisfied with Austria´s and Luxembourg´s blockage of the interest taxation directive.

May 16, 2012

New Supervisory Board at Erste Group

Friedrich Rödler was appointed as new chairman of the supervisory board of the Austrian bank.

May 16, 2012

„I´m Glad That It Is Over“

Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group had to present the first annual loss to the shareholders since its IPO in 1997.

May 15, 2012

Greek Exit: Costs of € 7.7bn for Austria

Austria could have to bear costs of up to € 7.7bn if Greece leaves the Eurozone. Austrian guarantees amount to € 3.1bn.

May 14, 2012

Raiffeisen Plans Capital Increase

The Austrian regional bank RLB Lower Austria – Vienna increases its capital base by € 500m, the chairman Erwin Hameseder says.

May 14, 2012

Cerberus May Sell Bawag

Five years ago, the U.S. investment fund Cerberus acquired the financially stricken Austrian Bawag bank. Next week, the retention period expires.

May 12, 2012

Commerzbank Has Growth Plans in Austria

The German commercial bank wants to become number one in Austria. At the moment every second big company is a customer at Commerzbank.

May 11, 2012

Hungarian Bank Tax May be Abolished

The extraordinary bank tax in Hungary will be halved in 2013 and deleted in 2014, the government said. Austrian banks are relieved.

May 10, 2012

Stable Development of Austrian Economy

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) forecasts a decent, but stable economic growth in 2012.

May 10, 2012

Bank Austria Posts Rising Profits

Net operating profit was up by 20 per cent, reflecting sound customer business, a flat cost trend and a further decline in the provisioning charge. Lending grew by 3.7% to € 133.4bn.

May 10, 2012

Massive Demand for Austrian Railway Bonds

The majority of the € 1.0bn bond was placed with high quality institutional investors in Germany, Asia, Austria and France; offering was 3.0x over-subscribed within 30 minutes.

May 10, 2012

Raiffeisen Against Bank Insolvency Act

The Austrian government announced to introduce a bank insolvency act in summer. Raiffeisen wants a European solution.

May 9, 2012

VTB Continues Growth Course

The Austrian subsidiary of the Russian VTB Bank registered a 39.8% growth in net income. Total assets grew by 43%.

May 7, 2012

Kommunalkredit: Search for Buyer Goes on

In 2008, the former interest of VBAG was nationalized. The market environment would be too insecure, CEO Steinbichler says.

May 5, 2012

RBI´s Hauptmann Enters ICC

Raiffeisen Bank International´s Andrea Hauptmann appointed new chairwoman of the International Chamber of Commerce Task Force.

May 5, 2012

Hypo Group Prepares for Sale

The nationalized Austrian Hypo Group Alpe Adria sells its subsidiaries step by step. Before, the units should be spiced up.

May 4, 2012

Mixed Results at RLB Styria

Raiffeisenlandesbank (RLB) Styria achieved an increase in EBIT by 13.3%. Net Income was down by 4%.

May 2, 2012

Austrian Banks Only Reached Minor Profits in 2011

Last year, consolidated profits of Austrian banks were down by 85%. In total, profits after taxes amounted to € 0.71bn. At the moment, Spain and Portugal are not regarded as risk factors.

May 2, 2012

High Losses at Hypo Tirol

The Austrian regional bank suffered high write-offs due to Italian non-performing loans. Pre-tax losses totaled € 107m.

May 1, 2012

Kommunalkredit: Losses Reach € 150m

The nationalized Austrian lender had to write down Greek sovereign bonds. Write-offs totaled € 176m.

April 30, 2012

Raiffeisen Bank International Closes Acquisition of Polbank

The Provisional purchase price is € 460m in cash for a 70 per cent stake in the Polish private bank. RBI becomes number 6 in the Polish banking market.

April 30, 2012

Erste Group Surpasses Expectations

The Austrian banking group improves net profit to € 346.5m in Q1 2012, EBA capital requirement already met as of March 2012.

April 30, 2012

RZB´s Rothensteiner: „Not Interested in VBAG“

Walter Rothensteiner, CEO of Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB), does not see a suitable takeover target in the partly nationalized VBAG.

April 28, 2012

Erste Group Expected to Record Lower Profits

In the first quarter of 2012, the Austrian banking group will register weaker results compared to the first three months of 2011.

April 28, 2012

Schelling Elected Chairman of VBAG

Hans Jörg Schelling, former CEO of the public accident insurance company, was elected supervisory board chairman of financially stricken Austrian banking group Volksbanken AG (VBAG), in which the state just got a 43 percent stake.

April 27, 2012

Drastic Profit Decrease at Raiffeisen´s Interests

In 2011, profits of interests held by RLB Lower Austria – Vienna Holding went down by 59%. CEO Hameseder is “not satisfied at all”.

April 27, 2012

Hypo Group Alpe Adria Splits Operations

The nationalised Austrian banking group Hypo Group Alpe Adria plans to shift assets from its Austrian bank unit to the group holding company.

April 26, 2012

Austria Injects € 1bn into KA Finanz

Austria injected € 998m into nationalized KA Finanz AG after the lender lost more than € 1bn on its bonds and credit-default swaps in Greece’s debt restructuring.

April 26, 2012

Scharinger to Enter ÖBB´s Board

The former CEO of RLB Upper Austria becomes supervisory board member at Austrian Railways.

April 25, 2012

Record Results at Hypo Lower Austria

The regional bank could enhance its earnings and profit situations significantly.

April 25, 2012

Second Bawag Process Starts

In June, the former investment fund manager Wolfgang Flöttl will face retrial of Austria´s biggest criminal process.

April 25, 2012

Tumpel-Gugerell Won´t Head VBAG´s Supervisory Board

Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell will not become chairwoman of the Austrian bank VBAG as planned.

April 25, 2012

VBI: Sberbank Injects € 300m

The Russian Sberbank raises the equity base of its new Austrian subsidiary VBI, which should become the hub for the CEE region.

April 24, 2012

Moderate Profit Increase at Erste Bank

The Austrian subsidiary of the Vienna-based Erste Group could record a 12.1% profit increase. Lending was up by 33%.

April 24, 2012

Dexia Fights Austrian KA Finanz Capital Cut

Franco-Belgian bank Dexia is contesting an equity capital cut at Austrian state-owned "bad bank" KA Finanz.

April 24, 2012

1.0 Million People in Poverty

More than 150,000 people in Austria do not have a bank account. A lack in financial education causes a loss of 1.0% of GDP.

April 23, 2012

Former GDR Funds: Bank Austria Has to Pay € 245m

Bank Austria lost a Zurich retrial over German demands for repayment of more than € 245m linked to the former East German Communist Party.

April 21, 2012

Bank Burgenland Records Profits in spite of Hungarian Crisis

The Austrian regional bank´s results were impressed by the coerced conversion of foreign currency loans in Hungary.

April 21, 2012

Bank Austria: Bond Issue Significantly Oversubscribed

This week, Bank Austria issued a 7-year covered bond with a volume of € 500m.

April 21, 2012

Drastic Cut in Profit at RLB Lower Austria-Vienna

After net income of € 308.6m in 2010, the figure went down by 64.5% last year. Write-offs in Hungary, bank taxes and the lower result at RZB are the main reasons.

April 20, 2012

RZB to Increase Capital

In order to cover its capital shortfall, RZB (Raiffeisen Zentralbank plans a capital increase of € 840m. Participation capital will turn into core Tier 1 capital as per EBA definition.

April 20, 2012

Big Exposure in Spain and Portugal

In total, Austrian banks have an exposure of € 4.3bn in the financially stricken EU-countries Spain and Portugal.

April 19, 2012

Former Bawag CEO Criticizes Cerberus Sharply

Helmut Elsner, former CEO of Bawag, accuses the new owner Cerberus to abuse the bank as “garbage dump” for toxic assets.

April 18, 2012