Vienna International Professional Services Industry News

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

Participation Capital: € 98m Interest Payment by Erste Group

The Austrian bank pays € 98m in interest to the Republic of Austria.

May 31, 2012

Austrian Business Location: Further Slump in Competitiveness

According to the Swiss Management Institute IMD, Austria only ranks 21th among 59 analyzed countries. The Austrian tax policy is the absolute weak point.

May 31, 2012

Androsch Criticizes Hypo Group Purchase

In 2009, the Austrian state nationalized the financially stricken Hypo Group. Much time was wasted, the industrialist and Fimbag board member Hannes Androsch thinks.

May 30, 2012

New Supervisory Board at Uniqa

New Supervisory Board Chairman of the Austrian insurance group is RZB´s CEO Walter Rothensteiner, who succeeds Christian Konrad.

May 30, 2012

Hypo Group: Further State Aids not Excluded

Johannes Ditz, chairman of the nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria, wants to sell about a third of the interests until 2014. In the end, losses are likely.

May 30, 2012

Exposure in Eastern Europe Remains Austria´s Weak Point

The Commission of the European Union warned Austria of the big exposure of domestic banks in Eastern Europe. Moreover, the austerity package was criticized.

May 30, 2012

CA Immo Leases Major Office to ORF

The Austrian broadcaster ORF will take up residence at a major office building developed by the Vienna-listed real estate company CA Immo.

May 30, 2012

S Immo: Eurocenter in Zagreb Fully Let

The Austrian real estate company S Immo has gained another internationally renowned tenant – Zagrebačka Banka d.d. – for its Eurocenter office building in Zagreb. Thus it is now fully let.

May 30, 2012

S Immo Does Not Plan Investments

The Austrian real estate company regards the current framework conditions as not suitable for investing in new projects. S Immo plans more sales, by contrast.

May 29, 2012

VBAG Achieves Turnaround

Stabilisation measures for the partly nationalized Austrian VBAG take effect: satisfactory first quarter result.

May 29, 2012

VIG: Hagen Succeeds Geyer

Peter Hagen will succeed Günter Geyer as CEO of Vienna Insurance Group with effect from 1 June. “Management continuity puts the Group on a stable basis” the company says.

May 29, 2012

Conwert Records Declining Earnings

The Austrian real estate company presented its first quarter results today. Net rental income was down by 13.3%

May 29, 2012

Austrian Banks Record Profits Due to Special Items

This year, Austrian banks achieved earnings of € 1.0bn. This does not relate to operating business, but with special items.

May 26, 2012

Substantial Losses at Volksbanken

The main shareholders of Austrian VBAG had to write down € 333m last year.

May 26, 2012

Conwert: Decline in Earnings Expected

Analysts of Erste Group and RCB (Raiffeisen Centrobank) predice a decrease in net income and rental income at the Austrian real estate company.

May 26, 2012

Oberbank: Substantial Rise in Earnings

The regional banks Oberbank and BTV achieved a rise in profit in the first quarter of 2012. BKS recorded stable results.

May 25, 2012

Greece and Eurobonds Divide Austria

The Greek exit and the introduction of Eurobonds are discussed heatedly. In Austria, there is no clear tendency.

May 25, 2012

Uniqa: Profits Up by 20%

Profit on ordinary activities increased by 20.2% to € 54.4m. Group profit up 13.8% to € 30.4m. The PIIGS exposure reduced by 43% to € 1,166m compared with 31 December 2011.

May 25, 2012

Immofinanz Expands in Germany

The Austrian real estate group launches first internal development project in Germany with construction project at Düsseldorf Airport.

May 24, 2012

OeNB’s Operating Profit Decreased

Profit of the Austrian Central Bank came to € 249m in 2011. Risk Provisions Increased by € 400m.

May 24, 2012

Warimpex Improved Sales and Profit

Warimpex reported Q1 figures today. Due to the good performance in Poland, Russia and the Czech republic, revenues soared by 18%.

May 24, 2012

Raiffeisen Bank International Doubled Net Income

In the first quarter of 2012, RBI´s net interest income was stable at € 875m (down 1.0% y-o-y), the operating income decreased slightly to € 1,295m (down 3.4% y-o-y). RBI´s Core Tier 1 ratio was up to 10.2%.

May 24, 2012

S Immo: Slight Decrease in Revenues and Earnings

The Austrian real estate company recorded a small rise in net income. A dividend of € 0.10 per share will be proposed.

May 23, 2012

Hypo Group May Need Further State Aid

The directors of the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) did not exclude that the nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria has a substantial capital shortfall.

May 23, 2012

RZB Capital Increase Completed

Raiffeisen Zentralbank´s shareholders subscribe core tier 1capital in the amount of roughly € 852m. The EBA capital requirements is already exceeded as a result.

May 23, 2012

VIG in Line with Expectations

Group premiums of the Austrian insurance group grew by 5.5 percent to more than € 2.7bn. Increase in Group profit (before taxes) by 6.0 percent to € 151.4m.

May 23, 2012

Mixed Results at CA Immo

The Austrian real estate company records a rental income of € 72.4 m (+13%). EBIT fell by 17%, net income rose by 70%.

May 22, 2012

Downsizing: Hypo Group Aims to Achieve Proceeds of € 1.5bn

The nationalized Austrian banking group Hypo Group Alpe Adria starts its sales program in SEE countries and wants to achieve proceeds of € 1.5bn

May 21, 2012

CA Immo: Rise in Rental Income Expected

Tomorrow, the Austrian real estate company presents its results for the first quarter of 2012. Analysts predict a rise in revenues and earnings.

May 21, 2012

Rothensteiner: Return to Drachma would be „Utter Chaos“

The CEO of the Austrian RZB (Raiffeisen Zentralbank) warns of a Greek exit. At the moment, there would be not contagiousness for Spain or Italy.

May 21, 2012

Solid Results at RLB Carinthia

According to preliminary results, RLB Carinthia (Raiffeisenlandesbank Kärnten) reached operating profits of € 34.5m in 2011. The insolvent AvW is still a massive risk factor, however.

May 19, 2012

Greek Exit: € 5.0bn Costs for Austria „In the Best Case“

Bank Austria´s chief economist Stefan Bruckbauer warns of exorbitant costs in case of a Greek exit out of the Eurozone. A common solution would be the better alternative.

May 19, 2012

BCR: Treichl Expects Soon Recovery

Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group, anticipates a soon recovery of the Romanian subsidiary Banka Comerciala Romana.

May 19, 2012

Downsizing Program at Hypo Tirol

After the major losses in 2011, the Austrian regional bank is obliged to withdraw from Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

May 19, 2012

RBI: Rise in Earnings Predicted

The Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International will report its first quarter results on May 24. A 94% increase in earnings is expected.

May 18, 2012

Record Results at RWA

Raiffeisen Ware Austria achieved an increase in revenues of 26%. EBIT rose by 23.3%.

May 16, 2012

Bank Secret: EU Commission is Frustrated

The European Commission is dissatisfied with Austria´s and Luxembourg´s blockage of the interest taxation directive.

May 16, 2012

Grazer Wechselseitige Posts Profit Decrease

Due to the Hungarian business segment, the Austrian banking and insurance group recorded a decline in net income to € 58m from € 69m.

May 16, 2012

New Supervisory Board at Erste Group

Friedrich Rödler was appointed as new chairman of the supervisory board of the Austrian bank.

May 16, 2012

„I´m Glad That It Is Over“

Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group had to present the first annual loss to the shareholders since its IPO in 1997.

May 15, 2012

Greek Exit: Costs of € 7.7bn for Austria

Austria could have to bear costs of up to € 7.7bn if Greece leaves the Eurozone. Austrian guarantees amount to € 3.1bn.

May 14, 2012

Raiffeisen Plans Capital Increase

The Austrian regional bank RLB Lower Austria – Vienna increases its capital base by € 500m, the chairman Erwin Hameseder says.

May 14, 2012

Cerberus May Sell Bawag

Five years ago, the U.S. investment fund Cerberus acquired the financially stricken Austrian Bawag bank. Next week, the retention period expires.

May 12, 2012

Commerzbank Has Growth Plans in Austria

The German commercial bank wants to become number one in Austria. At the moment every second big company is a customer at Commerzbank.

May 11, 2012

Atrium: Increased Profitability

Net rental income of the Vienna-listed real estate group was up by 17.4%. EBITDA rose by 48.6% to € 38.0m.

May 11, 2012

Zsolt Katona is the new CEO of BSE

The Board of Directors of the Budapest Stock Exchange appointed Zsolt Katona to be the new Chief Executive Officer from 15 May 2012.

May 11, 2012

Hungarian Bank Tax May be Abolished

The extraordinary bank tax in Hungary will be halved in 2013 and deleted in 2014, the government said. Austrian banks are relieved.

May 10, 2012

Stable Development of Austrian Economy

The Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) forecasts a decent, but stable economic growth in 2012.

May 10, 2012

Bank Austria Posts Rising Profits

Net operating profit was up by 20 per cent, reflecting sound customer business, a flat cost trend and a further decline in the provisioning charge. Lending grew by 3.7% to € 133.4bn.

May 10, 2012

Massive Demand for Austrian Railway Bonds

The majority of the € 1.0bn bond was placed with high quality institutional investors in Germany, Asia, Austria and France; offering was 3.0x over-subscribed within 30 minutes.

May 10, 2012