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Vienna International Banking Industry News
Read the latest headlines about developments in the international banking industry in Vienna and Austria
CEE Financial Markets under Pressure as Riots Continue in Ukraine
CEE markets under pressure as Ukraine violence heats up. Biggest direct risk to Polish Zloty, but also to Hungarian Forint and Romanian Leu.
February 21, 2014
RBI Closes All Affiliates in Kyiv
Because of the most recent violent outbreaks in Kyiv the Ukrainian affiliate of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has closed its affiliates in the country’s capital
February 21, 2014
Serbia: Structural Reforms to Boost FDI
Recent projections of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) forecast foreign direct investments (FDI) to increase to € 1bn this year up from € 750m.
February 21, 2014
Fitch Keeps Rating for Austria at High Level
According to the Rating agency the downsizing of Hypo Group will burden the debt rate. However, the outlook for the country’s credibility was left at a “stable” outlook.
February 21, 2014
Spindelegger: Taxpayers Should Not Carry Whole Load
Finance Minister Spindelegger declared himself in favor of a haircut of creditors of problem bank Hypo Group.
February 20, 2014
Austria: Rating Endangered
US-based rating agency Fitch will update its country rating for Austria tomorrow. Finance Minister Spindelegger is in favor of a haircut for investors of Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
February 20, 2014
Austrian Government Wants International Group of Experts
More and more voices for a parliamentary investigation committee for ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria are being raised even within the SPÖ and the ÖVP. However, the government has other plans.
February 20, 2014
Polish Insurer PZU Closes Offices in Ukraine
Because of the ongoing riots in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, state-controlled insurance company PZU decided to shut down two offices.
February 20, 2014
Hypo Österreich = Austrian Anadi Bank
Hypo Österreich will be renamed to “Austrian Anadi Bank”.
February 20, 2014
Serbian Governor: Banking Sector Stable
According to Tabakovic, governor of NBS, the Serbian banking sector was solvent and well-capitalized.
February 20, 2014
Polish PKO BP Tapping into Swedish Leasing Market
Major Polish lender PKO BP has opened a branch of its leasing unit in Sweden.
February 20, 2014
Liebscher: Government Is to Blame
Head of Hypo Group’s Task Force Klaus Liebscher rejects being turned into the scapegoat of delaying important decisions about the downsizing of the problem bank. Instead, he points his finger to the Austrian government.
February 20, 2014
EU Commission to Examine Slovenian Bank Restructuring Plan
Slovenia has sent the restructuring plan for its third largest bank, Abanka Vipa, to the EU Commission.
February 20, 2014
Hypo Disaster: Who Are the Beneficiaries?
International investment companies, funds and domestic banks are the major recipients of the billions of Euros in the Hypo Group disaster.
February 19, 2014
Zeman: Entry in Eurozone Delayed
In a speech to the Lower House ahead of the vote in confidence for the new government Czech President Milos Zeman expressed his dissatisfaction over the latest monetary intervention by the Czech National Bank (CNB).
February 19, 2014
Picker: Hypo to Cost Taxpayers “Only” up to € 4bn
According to CEO of Hypo Group Alpe Adria Picker, the ailing bank will burden taxpayers with “only“ € 4bn at the most. Head of IHS, Keuschnigg, warns the Austrian policy-makers of forwarding costs to bondholders.
February 19, 2014
Austria: Moody’s Downgrades Four Bonds
Moody’s downgraded four bonds of Austrian banks on Tuesday. The outlook is negative.
February 19, 2014
Hypo-Disaster: Government Playing Hide and Seek
After the emergency sitting in the National Assembley, which was demanded by the opposition parties and took place yesterday, the Austrian government refused to answer questions to the press and the public.
February 18, 2014
Hypo Bankruptcy Could Severly Harm BayernLB
Rating agency Moody’s sees German BayernLB impacted by the critical capital situation in the coming years.
February 18, 2014
Erste: CEE Financial Market Not Concerned by Low Inflation
Low inflation will not change CEE market forecasts, according to Erste Group.
February 18, 2014
Poland: PKO BK Still Wants to Take Over Nordea
PKO BP had to extend the subscription period for the second time.
February 18, 2014
Spindelegger Positive about Creation of Financial Transaction Tax
In the run-up to the beginning of the ECOFIN Council in Brussels, negotiations about the further proceeding of the financial transaction tax were held among eleven EU finance ministers.
February 18, 2014
Poland: Strong Prospects for High Growth
Prime Minister Donald Tusk is positive Poland will achive a GDP growth of more than three percent this year.
February 18, 2014
Nowotny: Negative Interest Rate Conveys Feeling of Crisis
Ewald Nowotny, member of the Council of the ECB (European Central Bank) and governor of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), expressed his rejection regarding a possible negative interest rate for banks.
February 18, 2014
Slovenia: Heading for Recovery
Slovenia seems to have circumnavigated the crisis as the small country is not a Eurozone bail-out candidate anymore, according to Prime Minister Bratusek.
February 17, 2014
Austria: Still No Clarity in Hypo Group Disaster
The Austrian parliamentary parties continue to shift the blame onto each other. Details still have not been presented yet.
February 17, 2014
Government Downplaying Effects of Hypo Group Desaster
Today, both Chancellor Werner Faymann and Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger had to explain their actions in regard to Hypo Group Alpe Adria in parliament.
February 17, 2014
Hypo Group: „Austrian Government Has Negotiated Poorly“
In the cause of the nationalized Balkan lender Hypo Group Alpe Adria, the performance of the Austrian government is miserable, according to Austrian economist Christian Keuschnigg.
February 16, 2014
Threat of Bankruptcy: Moody´s Cuts Hypo Group Alpe Adria´s Rating
The U.S. rating agency downgrades the rating of the Austrian nationalized lender by four notches. Moody´s referred to the uncertainty and the vague statements of the Austrian government.
February 15, 2014 · Updated: February 15, 2014; 18:47
Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Nowotny Attacks Fekter
Governor of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) Ewald Nowotny criticizes former Minister of Finance Maria Fekter sharply and blames her for inactivity.
February 15, 2014 · Updated: February 15, 2014; 18:19
EU Puts Limit to State Aids for Hypo Group
So far, € 4.8bn in capital aids had to be injected into ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria. According to an EU statement, the Austrian state is only permitted to spend € 3.65bn on Hypo Group.
February 14, 2014
Poland: PKO BP Planning to Establish Mortgage Bank
The Polish bank intends to found a mortage bank around the beginning of the year 2015.
February 14, 2014
„We Were Cheated by BayernLB“
Hannes Androsch, head of the Hypo Group task force, thinks that the former Austrian government has made serious mistakes.
February 13, 2014
RBI Raises Another € 500m
After the capital increase, the Vienna-listed lender has raised capital in the amount of € 500m. The emission was significantly oversubscribed.
February 13, 2014
IHS Rejects Hypo Group’s Bankruptcy
According to Keuschnig, it is also a question about a “national bankruptcy“.
February 13, 2014
Improving Situation in Slovenia
Banka Slovenije points out that the finance industry was negatively affected by provisions and write-offs. However, the situation seems to be improving.
February 13, 2014
Austria: RBI to Pay Back State Capital in March
€ 1.75bn in state aid will be transferred around March 15 if the Financial Market Authority agrees to the repayment.
February 13, 2014
Spindelegger: “Hypo Already Burdened Budget in Past”
The government has still not yet published figures in regard to the current fiscal burden emerging from the winding-up of problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
February 13, 2014
Singer: “Forex Interventions Were Right Measures”
Miroslav Singer, Governor of the Czech National Bank (CNB), considers the forex intervention and the weakening of the Czech Crown as the right measures in the light of the most recent inflation figures.
February 13, 2014
Banks Lose Credibility and Trust
A survey reveals the fear of financial institutes enriching themselves at the expense of of private persons is widely spread.
February 12, 2014
Poland: Consumer Loans Expected to Rise Significantly
Last year consumer loans saw a 16 percent growth which leads to expecations that Poland will register a double-digit growth rate in 2014 as well.
February 12, 2014
Hypo Group: Emergency Sitting in National Assembley Fixed
An extraordinary session in the National Assembley will take place next Monday in regard to Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
February 12, 2014
Cernko: Wealthy to Support R&D in Austria
The CEO of Bank Austria calls upon the Austrian government to take into consideration the funding of research and development by wealthy individuals and regard this as part of their “tax duty”.
February 12, 2014
Challenging Business Environment for Croatian Banks
Last year profits of Croatian banks declined more than 73 percent.
February 12, 2014
Hypo Group: Bad Bank Active at Least 10 Years
Austria’s rating by Standard & Poor’s (“AA+”, stable outlook) is currently not compromised. Because of the establishing of the bad bank the debt rate will rise four to six percent.
February 12, 2014
Erste Group: Net Results Below Expectations
Erste Group provides business update for 2013: Improvement in risk costs is outweighed by one-off items and tax effects, impacting net profit
February 11, 2014
Hypo-Disaster: Harsh Criticism from Opposition
The opposition parties have expressed their unanimous criticism about the government failing to come to a joint decision with the Austrian banks and consequently forwarding all costs to the taxpayers.
February 11, 2014
Ukraine: Tough Market for Foreign Banks
The coming two years will be challenging for foreign banks operating in Ukraine.
February 11, 2014
RBI: Capital Increase Successfully Completed
RBI capital increase confirms excellent environment for raising capital on the Vienna Stock Exchange.
February 11, 2014
Austria: Hypo Group Becomes Fiasco for Taxpayers
The most expensive solution for the winding up of troubled Hypo Group becomes imminent.
February 11, 2014