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Vienna International Business News | Economic | Investment | Financial
Get the latest business news and analysis on the Austrian economy, including news on economic policies, foreign trade, financial developments and investments
Economy shrank by 3.9 percent in 2009
The Austrian economy has shrunk even more in 2009 than previously expected.
July 16, 2010
Defying EU fusion reactors
According to calculations of the Green Party Federal Councillor Elisabeth Kerschbaum the project costs Austria €158m.
July 15, 2010
Stress tests - according to Cernko, Austrian Banks in the bottom third
Referring to speculation according to which Austrian banks with their relatively low equity ratio should not perform that well, Bank Austria CEO Willibald Cernko said "If one considers capital only, they will be at the top of the bottom third."
July 15, 2010
Union speaks of "death blow" for Austrian Railway
In the context of the forthcoming increase of capital of Verbund hydro electrical plants could be bought from the Austrian Railway Network ÖBB.
July 15, 2010
Expensive oil products - Inflation rises to 2.0 percent
The inflation rate was held high in June compared to last year due to higher prices of petroleum products.
July 14, 2010
Stress tests could be price-sensitive information
At the political level it is fiercely debated how detailed the publication of the stress test should be. The FMA currently tests whether the stress test results are stock market relevant, compulsory publications.
July 14, 2010
Stress tests pose problems
Results of stress tests will be published later than expected - assumptions behind tests create uncertainty.
July 14, 2010
Nowotny - raising the "retirement age"
Higher life expectancy, rising deficits: Austrians should therefore delay retirement, says National Bank's CEO Nowotny.
July 13, 2010
Local banks in stress test "within normal range"
OeNB Governor criticizes EU Commission: State aid procedure too long - debt reduction, dampening the economy Austria's banks performed within "the normal range, in midfield," the Governor of the Austrian National bank (OeNB) and Governing Council memb
July 13, 2010
Slowdown expected in the third quarter
A return to recession is not expected according to economists at Bank Austria, but the peak was now surpassed.
July 13, 2010
UniCredit's Profumo proposes 20-billion rescue fund
Head of Bank-Austria parent UniCredit, Alessandro Profumo, has announced his ambitions for a privately financed € 20 billion heavy rescue fund for troubled European banks.
July 12, 2010
Transaction tax - OECD European solo attempt
According to Jeffrey Owens, head of the OECD's tax department, a transaction tax only makes sense if it relates to the financial centres on a global scale.
July 12, 2010
Crisis causing private bankruptcy
Unemployment and less income: more than 50,000 people last year turned to a debt counselling bodies.
July 12, 2010
Pröll on economic status quo, "thunder and lightning are over"
The EU has demonstrated that "it is able to act in one of the worst crises, even if there were some mistakes," says Austrian Finance Minister Josef Pröll.
July 12, 2010
Foreign Trade Deficit, despite growth
Statistik Austria has published Austria’s trade balance. There are, increases in imports and exports.
July 12, 2010
The high debt burden of Austria as target for speculators
In the crisis years 2008, 2009 and 2010, the public debt mountains are exploding. In the EU, the debt within three years has increased from 60 to 80 percent of GDP.
July 9, 2010
Voestalpine AG - Resolutions of AGM
Voestalpine AG Annual General Meeting approves dividend and share repurchase program.
July 8, 2010
International companies discover Austria again
In the first half of 2010, 93 companies settled in Austria; in the same period in 2009 there were only 84. Total investment volume tripled from €37m ($46,95m) to almost €103m ($130,69).
July 8, 2010
Fight against early retirement - Companies should pay
The Wifo suggests that firms should pay if their employees are sick and are sent into early retirement.
July 8, 2010
Stress tests - Erste Bank and RZB on the list
91 European banks will have to undergo stress tests of European regulators. Two Austrian institutions will be tested as well.
July 8, 2010
Hungary rejects amendments to bank levy
At the start of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Hungarian government ruled out an amendment of the introduction of the controversial bank tax.
July 7, 2010
More private consumption in Austria
In Austria the private consumption expenditure has increased by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
July 7, 2010
OECD’s criticism of low labour force participation of older people
In Austria, the labour market has weathered the global economic crisis better than most other OECD countries.
July 7, 2010
Austrian companies are innovative
More than half of domestic companies may be the labelled innovative.
July 6, 2010
Higher property tax could bring a billion
A convergence of calculation basis to real market values could, according to the Wifo, generate additional income of half a billion Euros.
July 5, 2010
Commercial Court - 17 illegal clauses at Bank Austria
17 clauses at Bank Austria conflict with the new payment service law, according to the Vienna Commercial Court.
July 5, 2010
Lending decreased in April
More long-term loans to enterprises, decline in foreign currency loans in private sector.
July 5, 2010
Short-time work massively reduced
At the height of the crisis in April 2009, 57 000 employees were short-time workers , there were only 8313 at the beginning of July 2010.
July 2, 2010
Unemployment in euro countries unchanged
Lowest rate in Austria - Spain and Latvia, most affected Unemployment in the 16 euro countries will remain unchanged at high levels. In May the rate was ten percent, as the European statistics agency Eurostat announced on Friday in Luxembourg.
July 2, 2010
Vienna Stock Exchange - Weak week
With -6.2%, the ATX registers a weak week. The only positive factor is that recent annual lows were not crossed.
July 2, 2010
Agrana Beteiligungs-AG - AGM approves unchanged dividend
The 23rd Annual General Meeting of AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG today voted to pay a dividend unchanged from the prior year - of EUR 1.95 per share for the completed 2009/10 financial year.
July 2, 2010
Eco with surcharge above Austrian average
"Since the Austrian real estate companies with an average of four to five percent return on equity do not currently earn their cost of equity, an evaluation of net asset value is not justified in not justified in our opinion."
July 1, 2010
EU needs a budget minister
For Austrian National Bank President Raidl, the Euro is a success story, however "the monetary union only functions as a political union "I think the Euro is a success story," said the President of OeNB and the Chairman of Voestalpine Claus Raidl to t
July 1, 2010
Unemployment significantly declines
For the first time since the beginning of the crisis the number of unemployed and trainees decreases significantly.
July 1, 2010
Construction output declines by 14%
The massive railway expansion in the first quarter prevents an even greater decline.
July 1, 2010
Vienna Stock Exchange - The largest price gains and losers in the first Six months
Airport Vienna with largest share, Intercell leads losers list.
June 30, 2010
Nowotny strongly criticizes the Hungarian bank tax
The Austrian central bank chief Ewald Nowotny has practiced unusually sharp criticism of the Hungarian government, more specifically at the proposed Hungarian bank tax.
June 30, 2010
Energy must not be at mercy of shareholders
The only treasure of Austria must remain in own sphere of influence.
June 30, 2010
Austrian federal government - Massive fall in revenue
The federal government is missing €4b ($4.9b) in revenue, in the first four months of this year. In total a decrease of €6.1b ($7.5b) was registered.
June 29, 2010
European companies - Discrimination in China
In a survey of 500 European companies, 40 percent did not feel welcome in China. Accordingly, laws and rules would be unfavourable to non-Chinese companies.
June 29, 2010
IMF - Austria to save on expenses
Raise taxes, use the potential in the labour market and build a more effective social services system.
June 29, 2010
Bank Austria sees euro zone as main risk for growth
Institute raises forecast for 2010 slightly to 3.1 percent
June 28, 2010
OeNB - Stress tests discriminate against European banks
The Austrian banks have become more stable compared to the autumn of 2009, as analyzed by the Austrian National Bank. However, "stress tests" could cause lengthy aid procedures in Europe.
June 25, 2010
EU - Austria granted to extend bank aid package
The European Commission extended the authorization for the Austrian bank rescue package of €100b ($123b) for half a year.
June 25, 2010
KTM Power Sports AG - KTM speeds up earning rise in the third quarter
The KTM-group is expected to generate an EBIT of €12.4m in the 3rd quarter of 2009/10 and is heading for an overly positive business year 2009/10.
June 25, 2010
EU accuses Austria of hurdles in buying property
The European Commission refers Austria to the European Court of Justice. Reasons are fundamental barriers to the acquisition of agricultural land in Vorarlberg.
June 24, 2010
INSITO international symposium on the quality of work in Vienna
Securing and improving working conditions, health and safety at work in times of crisis will be discussed from today by international scientists and interest representatives from Vienna.
June 24, 2010
Bene AG - Results for the first quarter of 2010/11
In the first quarter of 2010/11 sales and earnings of the Bene Group were still affected by the difficult economic environment in most of the markets.
June 23, 2010
Publication of the stress tests on Friday
In the second half of July, the results of the stress tests for the 25 leading banks in the community will be published. Previously such reviews, as well as the national results of stress tests for all banks of a country, were kept top secret.
June 23, 2010
Migration barriers - Austria missing out on Human Capital
Due to existing migration barriers, Austria looses highly skilled workers who are hard to find, especially in the years of the boom in the domestic labour market.
June 23, 2010
