Vienna International Company News

Read the latest headlines about developments in international organizations, companies and institutions operating in Vienna, Austria

Poland: € 100m Aid for LOT

The Polish government grants a massive capital injection for the financially stricken airline.

December 27, 2012

WIFO: „Shut Down Hypo Group“

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) recommends closing the nationalized banking group. The number of banks is expected to shrink radically.

December 27, 2012

Bawag: Changes in Management Board

Retail director Wolfgang Klein becomes Deputy CEO of the Austrian bank. Corey Plinkston joins the management board. Byron Haynes keeps his position as CEO:

December 22, 2012

Austrian Signa Holding Acquires „KaDeWe“ in Berlin

The Austrian real estate group Signa Holding acquired 17 shopping centers in Berlin. In total, the sales price comes at € 1.1bn.

December 22, 2012

New Hope for Nabucco

The gas pipeline project is said to get a new major shareholder. In case of the entry of the Shah Deniz II consortium, Nabucco´s utilization would be secured.

December 22, 2012

Hutchison Takes Over Orange

The Austrian subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based telecommunication group Hutchison Whampoa is now officially entitled to acquire its competitor Orange.

December 22, 2012

Nabucco: Official Approval in Bulgaria

Bulgarian Ministry approves Nabucco National Environmental Impact Assessment Report.

December 22, 2012

Petrom: Major Gas Deal Signed

OMV Petrom exploring shallow water sector of Neptun block in the Black Sea.

December 22, 2012

Hypo Group: Supervisory Board Wants Bad Bank

Johannes Ditz, chairman of Hypo Group´s supervisory board thinks that the bank will need even more time to scale-down its risky assets.

December 22, 2012

RZB: „Hypo Group Is No Issue“

Walter Rothensteiner, CEO of Austrian RZB (Raiffeisen Zentralbank) will not bid for Hypo Group´s subsidiaries.

December 21, 2012

Alpine to Cut a Third of its Workforce

The Austrian financially stricken construction company has to implement radical restructuring measures.

December 21, 2012

conwert acquires majority stake in German KWG

Acquisition of approx. 60% stake in German residential property company with 9,700 units. Purchase price of approx. 620 € / sqm.

December 21, 2012

Strabag SE Strengthens its Financial Position: € 400m Cash Credit Line

The publicly listed European construction company STRABAG SE has arranged a revolving syndicated cash credit line in the amount of € 400m with a consortium of banks.

December 21, 2012

CESEE: Deposit Growth Slows Down

Given the sketched regional loan growth dynamics and their most important drivers it comes as no surprise that deposit growth rates in CEE also decelerated in recent months, Raiffeisen Research states.

December 21, 2012

CESEE: Airline Industry in Severe Crisis

The airline industry in East and Southeast Europe faces enormous difficulties. Not only Polish LOT needs immediate help.

December 21, 2012

Bank Taxes: RZB Records Costs of € 168m

For Austrian RZB (Raiffeisen Zentralbank), bank taxes in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia come at € 168m. RZB will not leave Hungary, CEO Rothensteiner says.

December 20, 2012

Erste Group Withdraws from Ukraine

Austrian Erste Group enters into an agreement to sell Erste Bank Ukraine.

December 20, 2012

Raiffeisen: “No signs of a regional deleveraging trend in CEE”

Cross-border exposures of European BIS-reporting banks to CEE (and the subregions CE and SEE) showed a modest decline in Q2 2012. This performance was driven by a cut in more or less all relevant CEE countries.

December 20, 2012

CESEE Banking Sector: Improving Market sentiment, but Slower Growth

The average CEE loan growth slowed to16-17% yoy in Q3 from 19% in Q1/Q2, Raiffeisen Research says.

December 20, 2012

Voestalpine Leaves Europe Step by Step

The Austrian steel company wants to reduce the dependence on Europe. Growth will take place elsewhere, CEO Wolfgang Eder says.

December 20, 2012

Poland: Recovery in Mid-2013

Poland´s new Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski forecasts an upward trend beginning in the second half of next year.

December 20, 2012

Decreasing Production Output in Slovenia and Slovakia

October 2012 compared with September 2012: Euro area production in construction down by 1.6%.

December 19, 2012

Immofinanz: Drastic Profit Decrease

Group generated solid operating results in the first half of the 2012/13 financial year. EBIT was down slightly, however.

December 19, 2012

Bank Austria: Poland and Turkey are Most Attractive

According to Bank Austria´s board member Gianni Franco Papa, the performance of CESEE markets is satisfying.

December 19, 2012

Immofinanz: Increasing Rental Income Ahead

Tomorrow, the Austrian real estate group Immofinanz will publish its results for the first six months.

December 19, 2012

Siemens Austria: Dividends Reach € 750m

This year, the Austrian subsidiary of the German technology group recorded a moderate profit decrease.

December 18, 2012

Voestalpine: „Growing by 50% Until 2020“

The Austrian steel group presents its strategy for the next years. The importance of conventional steel and Europe will decrease.

December 18, 2012

Romanian Post to be Privatized

In total, 51% of the company will be sold. The Romanian state will keep a 24% stake in Post.

December 18, 2012

Major Contract for Kapsch in UK

Kapsch CarrierCom today announced that it has been awarded the contract to maintain the entire GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway) network on behalf of British railway infrastructure operator Network Rail.

December 18, 2012

Verbund Posts Managing Board Positions

The Austrian energy group is looking for new management board members in the period from 2014 to 2018.

December 18, 2012

Uniqa Sells Hotel Investments

The Uniqa Group is selling its hotel investments from the Austria Hotels International Group to an investor group headed by Oliver W. Braun (also including Günter Kerbler, Johann Kowar and others).

December 18, 2012

Erste Group: Massive Cuts in Romania

Due to the weak performance of BCR, the Austrian bank plans to lay off 1,600 employees in Romania. BCR´s NPL quota remains on a high level.

December 18, 2012

Immofinanz: Expansion into Germany

The Austrian real estate company intends to deploy treasury shares to obtain bank financing in order to continue the expansion into Germany.

December 17, 2012

Sale of Kommunalkredit to Be Postponed

The sale of the Austrian nationalized bank will not be sold by the end of the year. Austria´s Ministry of Finance postpones the signing by three months.

December 17, 2012

EVN to Enlarge Renewable Energy Production and Expand into Russia

The Vienna-listed energy producer wants to change its energy production portfolio. The hydro power, wind power and solar power production will be enlarged.

December 17, 2012

Voestalpine: Major Investments in U.S.

The Austrian steel company wants to build a steel plant for $ 1.0bn in the U.S.

December 17, 2012 · Updated: December 17, 2012; 14:53

Hungary: Construction Output Increased by 1.4%

In October 2012, construction increased by 1.4% in output year-on-year. Within this, the construction of buildings decreased by 0.3% and that of civil engineering works grew by 2.7%.

December 17, 2012

Strabag SE Appoints Christian Harder as CFO

Managing Director of STRABAG SE subsidiary BRVZ to join management board of STRABAG SE effective 1 January 2013. Appointment of Thomas Birtel as Deputy CEO.

December 17, 2012

Sharp Attack Against Hypo Group

The legal dispute between Austrian Hypo Group and German BayernLB escalates. The majority owner of BayernLB announced that Hypo Group´s lawsuit will be fought by all means.

December 15, 2012

Austrian Competition Authority May Prevent Orange-Takeover

This week, the EU-Commission has approved the acquisition of the third-biggest telecommunication company by Hutchison Austria. Austria´s BWB (Federal Competition Authority) is seen as risk factor.

December 15, 2012

Banking Union: Czech Republic Cautious

For the time being, the Czech Republic will not join the single supervising mechanism.

December 15, 2012

Austria: BWB Approves New Shareholder at Bawag

The U.S. investment fund Golden Tree Asset Management becomes the second core shareholder of the Austrian bank.

December 14, 2012

Bulgaria: Lending Growth Close to Freezing Point

The increase in deposits also decelerates. The annual rate of growth of money supply (measured by means of the M3 aggregate) slowed down in October to 8.6% (it was 8.8% in the previous two months), Raiffeisen Research says.

December 14, 2012

Polish Government Considers Joining Banking Union

Today, Poland´s Prime Minister Donald Tusk explained that Poland may become a member in the single supervision mechanism.

December 14, 2012

Wienerberger: Major Contract in Northern Africa

Wienerberger´s subsidiary Pipelife wins major contract for water pipeline.

December 14, 2012

EU Guarantees Stability of Czech Banking Sector

The Czech Republic will not use its right to veto. In return, the EU guarantees the stability of the Czech financial sector.

December 14, 2012

Hypo Group Refuses to Repay Loans to BayernLB

Today, the management board and the shareholders of the Austrian nationalized bank resolved to stop payments to the former owner BayernLB. BayernLB files a lawsuit against Hypo Group.

December 13, 2012

Banking Supervision to Control Nine Austrian Banks

Austria´s Finance Minister Maria Fekter announces that nine Austrian banking groups will be supervised by the new banking supervision authority.

December 13, 2012

CEE Countries May Join Banking Union

ECB will become the main supervisor for the Eurozone´s banking industry. Non-Eurozone member countries are entitled to opt-in.

December 13, 2012

CA Immo Expands Into Berlin

The real estate company CA Immo has reported the letting of around 6,800 sqm of office space in relation to another development project in the Europacity district of Berlin.

December 13, 2012