Sponsored Content
        Vienna International Banking Industry News
Read the latest headlines about developments in the international banking industry in Vienna and Austria
          
    
        Austria: Petition Around Hypo Group to be Stopped
      
      The stop of the online petition for a parliamentary investigation committee seems to be unavoidable. The opposition claims the government is trying to “choke off” democracy.
                                  March 21, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group: € 1.43bn Required This Year
      
      A total capital need of € 1.43bn is forecast by the ailing bank.
                                  March 21, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group: More than One Billion Required?
      
      As reported by Austrian radio station Ö1, part of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF, ailing Hypo Group Alpe Adria will require € 1.1bn this year from the state.
                                  March 21, 2014                                        
    
    
        Final Time-Out for Austrian Bank Secret
      
      During the EU Summit the final time-out for the Austrian bank secret for foreigners was decided. Both Austria and Luxembourg agreed to give up their banking secrets.
                                  March 21, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group: “Acutely Gaping Capital Hole“
      
      In a compulsory notification published on Friday morning, Hypo Group Alpe Adria has reported about an “acutely gaping capital hole” which has to be covered by the Austrian Federation.
                                  March 21, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Still No Disclosure about Hypo’s Capital Gap
      
      Detailed figures about how much the Austrian state will have to inject for the balance sheet total of 2013 will be published on Friday at the earliest.
                                  March 21, 2014                                        
    
    
        Fitch: Elections Command Fiscal Consolidation and Reforms
      
      Vucic appears to acknowledge the need for reforms in Serbia.
                                  March 20, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Opposition Criticizes Nationalization
      
      On Thursday Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger expects a binding statement by ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria about how much state aid will be required. The opposition heavily criticizes the nationalization by the Austrian state in 2009.
                                  March 20, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Reform Steps Very Modest
      
      Austria, along with Germany and Switzerland, hardly put any economic reforms into realization. This is the conclusion of the annual “reform barometer” for the three countries.
                                  March 20, 2014                                        
    
    
        Sanctions Against Russia: Massive Threat for Austrian Banks
      
      Brussels plans to impose economic sanctions on Russia. The Austrian financial sector would suffer enormously an escalating conflict with Moscow.
                                  March 19, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group Expected to Publish Figures This Week
      
      On Thursday the Austrian taxpayers are supposed to officially get to know the financial requirements for nationalized problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
                                  March 19, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Freedom Party Admits Complicity
      
      The Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) admits that it was also to blame for the disaster around Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
                                  March 19, 2014                                        
    
    
        Poland: Key Rates to Remain Unchanged until 2015
      
      In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek magazine, Marek Belka, Governor of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), announced that interest rates will remain unchanced until the end of this year.
                                  March 18, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hungary: Jurisdiction Affects FX Loans and Banks
      
      Hungary’s constitutional court will exert influence on FX loans.
                                  March 18, 2014                                        
    
    
        Slovenia: SID Bank With Declining Profits
      
      The public export and development bank of Slovenia, SID, sees shrinking profits.
                                  March 18, 2014                                        
    
    
        BayernLB: “We Were Brazenly Betrayed by Austria"
      
      CEO of BayernLB Gerd Häusler claims the German bank and former parent company of nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria accuses Austria of having taken the law into its own hands.
                                  March 18, 2014                                        
    
    
        VBAG: Romanian Affiliate Sells Bad Loan Portfolio
      
      The ailing affiliate of Austrian partly nationalized VBAG will sell its non-performing loans on a large scale.
                                  March 18, 2014                                        
    
    
        Poland: PKO BP Cuts Down on Business in Ukraine
      
      The Polish top lender PKO BP’s Ukrainian affiliate Kredobank closed four of its six branches in Crimea in the past two weeks.
                                  March 18, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group: Government Explains Downsizing Solution
      
      On Tuesday the Austrian government will explain the decided downsizing solution for the ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria. Carinthia only wants to pay € 300m in downsizing costs.
                                  March 18, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group Redeems Loan
      
      Even though the Austrian nationalized Hypo Group urgently needs state aids to get by bondholders will be compensated for their investments.
                                  March 17, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Carinthia Forced to Pay for Hypo Group
      
      Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger announced wanting to include the federal province of Carinthia to participate in the downsizing costs for ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria. Austerity measures are “inevitable”.
                                  March 17, 2014                                        
    
    
        Belka: Poland Should Not Haste into Eurozone
      
      Marek Belka, Governor of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), said that the country did not have to haste to become a member of the European single currency union.
                                  March 17, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Spindelegger Puts Pressure on BayernLB
      
      In the dispute with BayernLB, former parent company of problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria, Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger calls for a tougher approach.
                                  March 17, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Spindelegger Demands Valid Figures by Hypo Group
      
      Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger demands valid figures from Hypo Group Alpe Adria before any further capital injections will be made by the Austrian state.
                                  March 15, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Delay in RBI Paying Back State Capital
      
      Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) will take longer than planned to pay back state capital.
                                  March 15, 2014                                        
    
    
        DiTech: Insolvency Postponed
      
      Heavily affected computer equipement trader DiTech has to postpone filing for insolvency proceedings, which was planned today at the Commercial Court in Vienna.
                                  March 14, 2014                                        
    
    
        Slovenia: Banking Sector Still Prone to Risks
      
      The Slovenian banking sector is still prone to risks as the number of non-performing loans was not reduced substantially.
                                  March 14, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: IV Welcomes Government‘s Decision on Hypo
      
      According to Kapsch, president of IV, Hypo Group’s insolvency would have meant uncertainty and damages to the reputation of the business location Austria.
                                  March 14, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group: Decision Has Finally Been Made
      
      The government has finally made a decision. Ailing Hypo Group Alpe Adria will be downsized through a private bad bank.
                                  March 14, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria/SEE: Crucial Days for Hypo Group’s Future
      
      Today the supervisory board of ailing Hypo Group is gathering to determine the financial gap of Hypo Group and the amount required to complete the balance sheets for 2013. Moreover, a decision about the SEE network will have to be made.
                                  March 14, 2014                                        
    
    
        CEE: Investments to Boost Economic Growth
      
      In the coming two years economic growth in Eastern Europe is expected to accelerate to an average of two to three percent of GDP triggered by a boost in investments.
                                  March 13, 2014                                        
    
    
        Poland: “Time for Belt-Tightening”
      
      Poland is required to cut the deficit in the public finance sector.
                                  March 13, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Bawag to Pay Back State Capital
      
      Bawag is expected to pay back the entire public participation captial tomorrow. The assets are urgently required for recapitalizing Austrian problem bank Hypo Group.
                                  March 13, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Who Will Pay for Hypo Group?
      
      In the dispute around who is to pay for problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria Chancellor Werner Faymann intends to negotiate with the Austrian provinces about a contribution to the bank levy.
                                  March 13, 2014                                        
    
    
        RBI Rejects Rumors of Delayed Pay-Back of State Aids
      
      RBI is expected to pay back € 1.75bn in public state aids.
                                  March 12, 2014                                        
    
    
        Serbia: “Reforms Are Social Responsibility”
      
      According to economic advisor and former director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Serbia’s efforts to improve state finances and push through with reforms, was visible.
                                  March 12, 2014                                        
    
    
        Poland: Bank Pekao with Ambitious Plans
      
      Polish lender Bank Pekao intends to reduce costs and risks, and raise the number of clients by around one million until 2020.
                                  March 12, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group: Insolvency Still an Option?
      
      The group of international advisors appointed by the Austrian government seems to have come to a different conclusion than the task force of Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
                                  March 12, 2014                                        
    
    
        Poland: Changes in Monetary Policy to Come Gradually
      
      Polish macroeconomic conditions support a stabilization of monetary policy, according to Anna Zielinska-Glebocka, member of the Monetary Policy Council.
                                  March 12, 2014                                        
    
    
        Bank Austria to Focus on Growth Markets in the Future
      
      Because of the high value of write-offs Bank Austria, CEE affiliate of Italian UniCredit, had to face record losses amounting to € 1.6bn. CEO Willibald Cernko, however, does not consider the bank having made any mistakes in the past.
                                  March 12, 2014                                        
    
    
        Hypo Group: Losses Expected to Run into Billions
      
      Hypo Group Alpe Adria is expected to reveal losses of around € 2bn in the balance sheet for the business year 2013. Up to now, losses in the amount of € 1.3bn were expected.
                                  March 12, 2014                                        
    
    
        Task Force: Time Is Running out for Hypo Group
      
      The final report by the task force of problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria calls upon the Austrian government to make a decision about the downsizing until mid-March.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Poland: Economic Growth to Accelerate
      
      According to the latest estimates of the Polish National Bank (NBP), the annual economic recovery could accelerate to 3.7 percent in the period from 2014 to 2016.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Losses Running into the Billions for Bank Austria
      
      Bank Austria’s results for the 2013 financial year.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Faymann: Provinces to Participate in Hypo’s Downsizing Costs
      
      Chancellor Werner Faymann announced that the provinces will have to make a financial contribution to the downsizing costs of Hypo Group. He is in favor of using the provincial share of the bank levy.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Banking Secret for Foreigners to be Abolished Forever
      
      From 2017 on, the banking secret for non-Austrian residents will be abolished completely.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Poland: PKO BP to Sell Parts of Consumer Loan Portfolio
      
      This year, the largest lender in Poland intends to sell a part of its consumer loan portfolio in the amount of PLN 2.3bn to 2.5bn.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Hypo Group Disaster with Exorbitant Costs
      
      The extent of the disaster of Austrian problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria only starts to unfold bit by bit. A further capital injection of € 750m is needed only for the ailing bank to complete its balance sheets.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Austria: Looming Real Estate Bubble in Vienna
      
      While the official opinion is that there are dangerous price tendencies, some experts warn of the danger of a real estate bubble in the Austrian capital.
                                  March 11, 2014                                        
    
    
        Czech Republic: Inflation below Forecast
      
      Inflation in February in the Czech Republic was below the Czech National Bank’s (CNB) forecast.
                                  March 10, 2014                                        
    
      
    