Vienna International Banking Industry News

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

OeNB: Developments in the Sovereign Debt Crisis Will Be Crucial for Financial Stability

The Austrian National Bank (OeNB) presented the 22nd Financial Stability Report.

December 16, 2011

VBAG Supervisory Board Resolves New Divisional Structure

The Austrian bank will sell its subsidiaries that are not part of the core business. The headcount will be reduced by 20% by the end of 2013.

December 15, 2011

Changes to the Management Board of Erste Group

The Supervisory Board of the Austrian bank took several personnel decisions that concern the holding company as well as the subsidiaries in Hungary and Romania.

December 15, 2011

Building Saving: Financing Becomes more Difficult

In Austria, 45,000 new apartments are needed, causing finance requirements of € 8.8bn. Meeting this demand becomes harder.

December 14, 2011

€ 230m Capital Increase at Hypo Tirol

The province of Tyrol, the owner of Hypo Tirol, decided to strengthen the bank´s capital base. From where the funds will be provided, is not clear yet.

December 12, 2011

Erste Group Increases Stake in BCR to 82%

In connection with the implementation of agreements with the Romanian SIFs, Erste Group has acquired a further approx. 7% stake in BCR against cash and issuance of new shares.

December 12, 2011

Austrian Investor Interested in Croatian Aluminum Company

The Austrian financial investor Michael Tojner is a potential buyer of the Croatian aluminum manufacturer TLM-TVP, which is owned by Hypo Group.

December 10, 2011

Treichl: „9% Quota Is Adequate“

The CEO of Erste Group, Andreas Treichl, is optimistic to achieve the prescribed 9% tier 1 capital quota by mid-2012.

December 10, 2011

Nowotny Attacks EBA

The Governor of the Austrian Central Bank (OeNB), Ewald Nowotny, criticizes the high speed which EBA requires from banks to build up equity capital.

December 9, 2011

Erste Group: Drastic Cut in Hungary

The Austrian bank cuts 450 jobs in Hungary. However, Erste Group emphasizes to stay in Central and Eastern Europe.

December 9, 2011

Reduced, But Still High Shortfall at Austrian Banks

EBA shortfall for RZB Group set at approximately € 2.1bn, for Erste Group at € 0.74bn. However, the initial shortfalls were reduced for RZB.

December 8, 2011

Hypo Tirol Needs Capital Increase

The Tyrolean bank suffers from a low equity capital quota. After major write-offs in Italy, the core capital amounts to 5.8%.

December 7, 2011

Rising Finance Requirements Due to Increase in Investments

According to the Erste Bank’s forecast on savings and loans, the average financing amount in Austria amounts to € 81,800.

December 7, 2011

Major Job Cut at Hypo Group

A spokesman from the Austrian Hypo Alpe Adria confirmed plans for further layoffs. In the medium run, the bank wants to reduce staff by 500 posts at least.

December 5, 2011

Further Write-Offs at Hypo Tirol Possible

The Tyrolean bank could make further write-offs in 2012. Non-performing loans of € 30m in Italy are still in the books.

December 5, 2011

Hypo Group: € 3.0bn Debts at BayernLB

The nationalized Hypo Group is still massively indebted at its former holding company, the German BayernLB. The loan will be due by the end of 2013.

December 3, 2011

Polish Financial Market Authority Claims RBI´s Quotation

The Vice-President of the Polish financial market authority, Wojciech Kwasniak, asks the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International to quote in Warsaw, besides the listing in Vienna.

December 3, 2011

S Immo Announces Changes in Shareholding Structure

The Austrian real estate company S Immo clarifies that the two core shareholders still remain in S Immo and hold a threshold beyond 9% each.

December 3, 2011

Hypo Tirol Expects Loss of € 110m

The Austrian regional bank’s result will be impacted by major write-downs of non-performing loans in Italy.

December 2, 2011

Legal Success for Bank Austria

A Swiss court granted the bank’s appeal against an obligation to pay € 245m to a German public body.

December 2, 2011

Volksbanken Group Takes Back Restructuring Decisions

The Austrian group cancelled the planned spin-off of its banking operations due to the deterioration of the market environment.

December 1, 2011

Erste Group Buys Remaining Shares in Romanian BCR

The Austrian bank has reached an agreement with the last one of five regional investment funds to acquire its stake of 6%.

November 30, 2011

Austria to Sell Nationalized Bank Kommunalkredit

The nationalized lender has to be sold by mid-2013. Finance Minister Fekter hopes for proceeds of € 500m.

November 29, 2011

Romania Protests Against Austria´s Banks

The Austrian Central Bank and the Financial Market Authority announced to oblige domestic banks to reduce their exposure in the CEE region. Romania fears a credit crunch.

November 28, 2011

Stock Swap at Erste Group

The Austrian bank increases its stake in the Romanian BCR by 6.23% against cash and issuance of new shares

November 28, 2011

Treichl to be Confirmed as CEO

Erste Group´s CEO Andreas Treichl will extend his function at the Austrian major bank.

November 26, 2011

Volksbanken Group Result Negatively Impacted by Extraordinary Write-Downs

The Austrian bank posted a consolidated loss of € 689m for the first nine months of the year. The annual result is expected to decrease even further.

November 25, 2011

Financial Market Authority Terminates Inquiry Against CEO of Erste Group

The head of the Austrian bank group had been accused of balance sheed fraud. A second investigation for alleged market manipulation is still ongoing.

November 24, 2011

Growing Capital Shortfall at Volksbanken Group

The Austrian bank will need another € 200m in order to comply with the EBA’s capital requirements. The price for the sale of VBI might be reduced to € 500m.

November 24, 2011

RBI Posts Decline in Nine-Month Profit

The Austrian bank might have to write down the goodwill on its Ukrainian subsidiary. Consolidated profit declined by 4.8% to € 745m in the first three quarters.

November 24, 2011

Austrian Minister of Economics Criticizes Hungary

On the occasion of a bilateral meeting between the Hungarian and the Austrian Minister of Economics Reinhold Mitterlehner repeated his critics regarding Hungarian foreign currency loans.

November 21, 2011

Austrian Central Bank Calls for Rise in Equity for Banks

The Austrian Central Bank (OeNB) prescribes Austrian banks to raise their equity base. By 2016, a further capital base of 3.0% is required.

November 21, 2011

Increasing Capital Requirements for Austrian Banks

The Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) needs to raise its equity base by € 2.5bn instead of € 1.9bn, the bank supervision claims.

November 19, 2011

AutoBank Achieves Further Growth

The Austrian specialist bank increased new business volume to € 59.6m. The operating result more than doubled and amounted to € 817,000.

November 18, 2011

BKS Posts Decline in Profits

The two sister banks Oberbank and BTV were more successful in the first nine months of the year. Consolidated net income went up by 8.2%.

November 18, 2011

Raiffeisen’s Capital Shortfall Grows to € 2.5bn

The Austrian bank said it would not require state support to ensure compliance with the new requirements set by the European Banking Authority.

November 18, 2011

Jobs to be Cut at Bank Austria

After the announcement of high write-offs yesterday, the Austrian subsidiary of UniCredit will reduce its staff from 10,800 to 10,000 by 2015.

November 15, 2011

High Losses for Bank Austria

Due to high write-offs in Ukraine and Kazakhstan, losses amount to € 600m in the third quarter. The first nine months bring profits of only € 4.5m.

November 14, 2011

UniCredit to Withdraw from CEE?

The holding company of Bank Austria, the Italian UniCredit, may close its operations in Eastern Europe. The consequences for Bank Austria are unknown.

November 14, 2011

Immofinanz Refinances Shopping Mall in Moscow

ZAO Raiffeisenbank provides a major loan for the Austrian real estate group in order to expand operations in Russia.

November 14, 2011

OeNB and People’s Bank of China Sign Investment Agreement

The agreement enables the Austrian National Bank to Invest via PBC in Renminbi-denominated assets.

November 10, 2011

Raiffeisen Cuts Staff in Czech Republic

The Austrian banks local unit has reacted to increasing costs and the poor economic outlook.

November 9, 2011

Massive Layoffs at Volksbanken Group

Hundreds of employees of the Austrian bank will lose their job in the next years, according to media reports.

November 9, 2011

Bawag Sues Linz For € 418m

The U.S.-owned bank now sues the Upper-Austrian capital. Linz has terminated a swap contract based on Swiss Francs.

November 8, 2011

Growth Potential in CEE Banking Sector

The Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International has a very favourable growth outlook for six CEE banking markets representing 80 per cent of the region's total banking assets

November 8, 2011

Hungary Rejects Further Bank Charges

Contrary to its initial plans, Hungary will not resolve further aid measures for domestic loan takers. The government is seeking for cooperation with concerned banks.

November 5, 2011

Moody´s Considers Downgrade of Erste Group

The rating agency says that a downgrade of the long-term rating of Erste Group from “Baa1” to “Baa2”is probable.

November 5, 2011

Moody’s: Downgrade of Erste Group Likely

The Austrian bank will likely be downgraded from “Baa1” to “Baa2”, the rating agency says.

November 4, 2011

Capital Needs of Austrian Banks Total € 4bn

The increase is mainly a result of Erste Group’s third quarter loss, according to OeNB’s Executive Director Andreas Ittner.

November 3, 2011

Erich Hampel New Chairman of Bank Austria’s Supervisory Board

The Austrian succeeds Paolo Fiorentino who will remain on the board as deputy chairman.

November 3, 2011