Vienna International Banking Industry News
Read the latest headlines about developments in the international banking industry in Vienna and Austria
Rothensteiner Against Bank Insolvencies
Raiffeisen Zentralbank´s CEO Walter Rothensteiner is against the discussion about bank insolvencies.
March 24, 2012
Bank Austria: Cernko Confirmed as CEO
Bank Austria’s Supervisory Board renews the term of office of Willibald Cernko and Rainer Hauser for another three years.
March 23, 2012
Raiffeisen, 3-Banken Reject Comment on Hypo Interest
Raiffeisenlandesbank Carinthia and BKS aren’t interested in Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International AG’s Austrian subsidiary.
March 23, 2012
RBI: Günther Gall Appointed Vice-Chairman of EPC
The Austrian national Günther Gall of Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) was elected vice president of the European Payments Council (EPC).
March 23, 2012
RBI: No Capital Increase
Christian Konrad, general attorney of the Raiffeisen sector, is against a capital increase at RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International). The 9.0% tier-1 quota will be reached without that measure, Konrad is convinced.
March 23, 2012
Hypo Alpe Adria Bank to be Sold this Year
The Austrian subsidiary of the nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria will be sold this year. “All potential risk factors are eliminated.” the supervisory board chairman says.
March 22, 2012
New Executives for VBAG
The banking group VBAG, in which the Austrian state is about to take a stake of up to 49 percent, will get new management after losing nearly € 1.4bn ($1.85bn) last year.
March 22, 2012
Banks have CEE-Subsidiaries „Under Control“
RBI´s CEO Herbert Stepic criticizes the skepticism against banking in Central and Eastern Europe. The economist Aiginger sees more advantages than risks for Austrian banks.
March 21, 2012
Cernko Claims Bank Rescue Fund
Bank Austria´s CEO Willibald Cernko wants the bank tax to be solely used for a stability fund in order to support financially stricken banks.
March 20, 2012
Hypo Group´s Austrian Subsidiary in the Profit Zone
Hypo Alpe Adria Bank AG, the Austrian subsidiary of Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International AG, today reports positive results from ordinary business activities (EBT) in 2011 of € 10.18m.
March 20, 2012
AMAG Appreciates Changes in Shareholder Structure
With B&C Industrieholding, the Austrian aluminum producer got a new major shareholder. RLB Upper Austria widens its share up to 16.44%.
March 19, 2012
Croatian Banks: Rise in NPL Ends
Croatian banks do not expect any further hike in the level of bad loans, which surpassed 12 percent at the end of 2011, the national banking association HUB said.
March 19, 2012
Bank Austria Plays Down Hungary Risks
The head of UniCredit unit Bank Austria's central and eastern Europe business played down potential risks from Hungary in a magazine interview published on Friday.
March 19, 2012
Bawag to Refund Bank Aid in 2014 by Earliest
The U.S. owned bank was the only one in Austria which could increase its profits last year. The restructuring is successfully completed.
March 17, 2012
Raiffeisen Places Chinese Bonds
The Austrian bank places 750 million yuan in first sale dim sum bonds.
March 16, 2012
Bawag Underlines its Profitability
The Austrian bank, which is owned by the U.S. investment fund Cerberus, could report profits before taxes of € 156m. Against 2010, this is a rise by 13%.
March 16, 2012
B&C Holding Interested in 30% AMAG Stake
The industrial holding aims for entering the aluminum producer AMAG. RLB Upper Austria is interested too.
March 15, 2012
Vienna Initiative an Insurance Policy, not a Game Changer, Fitch Says
The principles adopted Tuesday in “Vienna Initiative 2.0” do not change Fitch’s base case expectation that central, eastern and south-eastern Europe (CESEE) will continue to see weak, or marginally negative, credit growth in the near-to-medium term.
March 15, 2012
Crystallizing Fronts in Austrian Banking Industry
For managers of the Austrian banking industry, the maximum salary increase for its employees is 3.3%. The trade unions call for a 3.8% increase.
March 14, 2012
No Credit Crunch in CEE
Western European banks maintain the liquidity of their subsidiaries in Central and Eastern Europe. The equity provision is better than expected.
March 14, 2012
Raiffeisen Energy & Environment Sells Bulgarian Assets
The subsidiary of the Austrian Raiffeisen Leasing sells Bulgarian wind parks to Lukerg Renew.
March 14, 2012
Austrian Supervisory Authority Published Guideline For Banks
The Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) has published a supervisory guideline to strengthen the sustainability of the business models of large internationally active Austrian banks.
March 14, 2012
Hypo Group: Losses of € 165m
Hypo Group Alpe Adria, a nationalized Austrian lender, does not pay a dividend to the state. According to IFRS, Hypo Group could achieve profits of € 69.3m.
March 13, 2012
KA Finanz: Disaster Was Avoidable
The „bad bank“ of the nationalized bank Kommunalkredit considered selling Greek sovereign bonds in spring 2009. Last week, KA Finanz wrote off € 423m.
March 12, 2012
Nowotny: Capital Shortfall at Hypo Group „Substantially Less Than € 10bn”
The governor of the Austrian Central Bank (OeNB) repulses reports stating that the nationalized bank Hypo Group needs capital injections of € 10bn.
March 10, 2012
Hypo Group: Costs Could Increase up to € 10bn
The nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria may need massive capital injections by the Austrian state. The bank must downsize radically.
March 10, 2012
Ghizzoni: „Austrian Bank Tax Is Painful“
The Chief Executive Officer of UniCredit, the holding company of Bank Austria emphasizes not to sell the Austrian subsidiary. The bank tax is “unfair”.
March 10, 2012
KA Finanz Needs € 1.0bn
Due to write-offs of Greek sovereign bonds, the “bad bank” of the nationalized Kommunalkredit has a capital shortfall of € 1.0bn.
March 9, 2012
RBI Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner for Moscow Airport
The loan of € 165m for the largest Russian Airport is for general corporate purposes. The international financing consortium consists of ING, Société Générale and RBI.
March 9, 2012
Bawag Buys Back Hybrid Capital
The U.S. owned Austrian bank purchases € 300m in hybrid capital back in order to strengthen the equity base.
March 9, 2012
Cernko Criticizes VBAG Bail-Out
Willibald Cernko, CEO of Bank Austria considers that the Austrian state reacted too late. A partly nationalization could have taken place already one year before.
March 9, 2012
RBI Optimizes Its Structure of Participations
EBA decides not to recognize privately placed participation capital. RZB Group will nevertheless meet the EBA target, the bank argues.
March 8, 2012
EBA Does Not Accept Participation Capital as Equity
Austrian banks face new difficulties. The European Banking Authorities does not approve participation capital by the Austrian state as Tier-1 Equity Capital.
March 8, 2012
Kommunalkredit Bring € 455m to Greek Swap
Kommunalkredit AG and KA Finanz AG, two nationalized Austrian banks, said they will join Greece’s debt swap with a total of € 455m ($600 million) to avoid triggering default swaps.
March 8, 2012
Pecik Unwanted at AMAG
A major shareholding in Austrian AMAG will be sold. Ronny Pecik, who is said to be interested, is not welcome.
March 7, 2012
Bank Insolvency Act to be Finished by Summer 2012
According to the government´s plans, the Austrian financial market authority (FMA) should obtain more competences.
March 7, 2012
Bank Taxes: Nowotny Supports Government
OeNB´s governor Ewald Nowotny defends the coalition plans to raise bank taxes by 25%.
March 7, 2012
Fitch Confirms Rating for VBAG
The U.S. rating agency retains the A rating for the fourth largest Austrian bank.
March 7, 2012
Public Debt Agency: “Unnecessary to Change Bonds Issuance Plans”
Austria sees no need to change its debt issuance program and is sticking to its plan to stay below the European Union’s deficit ceiling this year even as it injects cash into Oesterreichische Volksbanken AG (VBPS) and KA Finanz.
March 6, 2012
Banks May Face Strikes
The trade union of bank employees calls for a 4.9% salary increase. Employers reject this claim.
March 6, 2012
Uniqa: Changes in Supervisory Board
RZB´s supervisory board chairman Christan Konrad will leave Uniqa. RZB´s CeO Walter Rothensteiner succeeds Konrad.
March 6, 2012
Erste Group Has € 150m Gain Through Hybrid Buyback
Erste Group Bank AG, Eastern Europe’s second-biggest lender, said it has agreed to buy back € 828.3m ($ 1.1bn) of hybrid securities to boost net income and capital.
March 6, 2012
EU ‘Surprised’ Austria Didn’t Warn on VBAG, Almunia Says
The European Commission was “surprised” Austria didn’t warn it about plans to bail out Oesterreichische Volksbanken AG (VBPS), according to Joaquin Almunia, the region’s commissioner responsible for approving state aid.
March 5, 2012
Fekter: Up to € 1.0bn for Kommunalkredit
In case of a default of Greek sovereign bonds, the Austrian state would have to grant € 1.0bn to the nationalized bank Kommunalkredit.
March 3, 2012
VBAG´s Executive Board Asked to Resign
Parts of the Volksbanken sector, which hold stakes in VBAG, offer resistance to the management board.
March 3, 2012
VBAG to be Acquired by BAWAG?
According to market rumors, the financially stricken VBAG could be taken over by the U.S. investment fund owned Bawag.
March 2, 2012
Nowotny: „Austrian Banking Activities in CEE Better than their Reputation”
According to the governor of the Austrian Central Bank (OeNB), Ewald Nowotny, Austrian banks engaged in Central and Eastern Europe are more stable than they are supposed to be.
March 1, 2012
VBAG´s Rescue Endangers Austerity Targets
In 2012, savings should reach € 576m. However, only write-offs in VBAG cost € 700m. The Austrian government seeks for additional revenues.
February 29, 2012
Banking Industry As „Cash Cow“?
For RZB´s CEO Rothensteiner, the increase in bank tax is “not fair”. The government plans to raise bank taxes by 25%.
February 29, 2012
Erste Group Returns to Profitability
In 2011, Erste Group registered losses of € 718.9m, which is less than initially expected. The fourth quarter was in the profit zone again.
February 29, 2012
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