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Vienna International Professional Services Industry News
Read the latest headlines about developments in the international service industry in Vienna and Austria
RBI Redeems Participation Capital
Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) is now also repaying the privately-placed participation capital. On 6 June 2014, RBI paid back the state-held tranche of the participation capital with a nominal value of € 1.75 billion. On 10 September, the repayment of the outstanding participation capital held by private investors with a nominal value of € 0.75 billion will follow.
September 8, 2014
Buwog: The ATX of the Vienna Stock Exchange has a New Member
At today's meeting, the Index Committee has decided on changes in the composition of Austrian stock indices. All changes become effective as of 22 September 2014. In the Austrian leading index, ATX, Mayr-Melnhof Karton AG will be replaced by BUWOG AG.
September 2, 2014
Signa Buys Karstadt for €1
Austria's Signa Holding takes over struggling German department store chain Karstadt. Signa acquires a 100 per cent stake in Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH from Berggruen Holdings. Berggruen Holdings is going to withdraw from Karstadt Warenhaus GmbH, Karstadt Premium and Karstadt Sports as well as from from each property. The deal ends weeks of speculation over the company's future after the CEO left in July. Rene Benko will pay just €1 for the department store chain. Karstadt operates more than 80 stores across Germany and employs more than 17.000 people.
August 15, 2014
S&P Downgrades Erste, RZB, UniCredit, Affirms HYPO NOE, KA Finanz, Upgrades HYPO OO
S&P is downgrading three banks, affirming the ratings on two banks, upgrading one bank, and lowering various issue ratings on the banks' hybrid capital and guaranteed grandfathered debt.
August 13, 2014
Comment: Outlook of Vienna Stock Exchange
Manfred Sibrawa of BAWAG PSK INVEST GmbH comments on the expectation of the performance of the Vienna Stock Exchange until year end. Erste Bank and Raiffeisen Bank International, but also OMV, booked double-digit losses, while the Vienna Stock Exchange welcomed a new member, FACC. "All in all we saw a mixed development year-to-date, but assuming that we see a stabilization of the global situation we can expect the Vienna ATX to speed up and reduce the underperformance towards other established markets."
August 7, 2014
Bank Austria Posts Net Profit of EUR 776 Mln in H1 2014
Net profit rises by 34.3 per cent to EUR 776 million compared with the same period of the previous year.
August 6, 2014
Immofinanz: Net Profit for 2013/14 at EUR 180 Mln, Property Sales Top EUR 1 Bln
Immofinanz Group announces net profit totalling EUR 180.4 million for 2013/14, for a year-on-year increase of 62.8%. Rental income was lower as a result of the extensive, planned property sales. The delayed completion of the GOODZONE shopping center in Moscow prevented the full recovery of this decline during the past year. Rental income amounted to EUR 506.7 million (-7.2%) and results of operations totalled EUR 319.2 million (-19.5%). In like-for-like comparison (i.e. after an adjustment for new acquisitions, completions and sales), rental income was generally stable (-1.3% to EUR 472.7 million). Property sales set a new record at roughly EUR 1 billion.
August 4, 2014
VBAG Sold Private Equity Portfolio
Österreichische Volksbanken AG (VBAG) makes progress with the implementation of its restructuring program by selling a EUR 110 million portfolio of private equity fund investments and direct investments in German speaking countries and Eastern Europe.
July 31, 2014
Austrian Federal President Heinz Fischer Signs Hypo Special Act into Law
After intensive testing, together with the former President of the Constitutional Court and current adviser to the President, Prof. Dr. Ludwig Adamovich, Federal President Heinz Fischer has decided to carry out the notarization of the adopted bill and thus clear the way for review by the Constitutional Court.
July 31, 2014
Immofinanz Sells Two Logistics Properties in Poland and the Czech Republic
Immofinanz Group sold two logistics properties – the Bokserska Distribution Park in Warsaw and the Westpoint Distribution Park in Prague. Both transactions took place above book value, with the combined proceeds totalling approx. EUR 33.2 million. The Westpoint Distribution Park was sold to Central Group, a Czech investor, while the Bokserska Distribution Park was sold to “UK & European Investments“, a well-known family office from Great Britain.
July 28, 2014
Volksbank Romania Sells EUR 495 Million NPL Real Estate Portfolio
Volksbank Romania has reduced its non-performing loans portfolio (NPLs) through the sale of a NPL real estate portfolio with an aggregate volume of € 495 million. The Bank has sold the large-volume real estate financing commitments to an international investors consortium composed of Deutsche Bank, AnaCap Financial Partners LLP, H.I.G Capital International Advisers and APS Holding SE. With this transaction, Volksbank Romania has reduced its NPL portfolio to a NPL ratio of below 8%, below the average in Romania's banking system.
July 28, 2014
Bank Austria Takes Over Immobilien Holding from Immobilien Privatstiftung
UniCredit Bank Austria AG intends to buy Immobilien Holding GmbH/Group, which has so far been wholly owned by Immobilien Privatstiftung. The purchase agreement has been signed today, subject to consent by the Bank Austria supervisory board and subject to approval by the Austrian competition authorities. The purchase price will not be disclosed.
July 25, 2014
Cost of Living Rankings: CEE Capitals Cheaper, Vienna is 32nd Most Expensive City
The Mercer's 2014 Cost of Living Rankings have been published and cover 211 cities across five continents. While Western European cities have all risen in the rankings mainly due to the strengthening of the Euro against the US dollar, most cities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), however have fallen in the ranking as a result of local currencies depreciating against the US dollar. Bratislava (#84), Prague (#92), Kiev (#98), Ljubljana (#116), Zagreb (#120), Budapest (#135), Warsaw (#142), Belgrade (#184).
July 25, 2014
VIG Subsidiary Donau Insurance to Appoint New CEO
Elisabeth Stadler will resign her position as Chairwoman of the Management Board of Ergo Austria and take over the position of CEO of listed insurance group VIG's subsidiary Donau Versicherung AG.
July 24, 2014
RBI Raiffeisen Bank International Swallows Centrobank
Raiffeisen Centrobank (RCB), which is the investment vehicle of Raiffeisen group, will be integrated into its parent RBI Raiffeisen Bank International.
June 30, 2014
BUWOG Closes Acquisition of DGAG Portfolio
The BUWOG Group has closed its acquisition of approx. 18,000 units in Northwestern Germany after antitrust clearance by the German Cartel Office and completion of further conditions precedent according to schedule.
June 30, 2014
Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank AG Changes Its Corporate Name to Austrian Anadi Bank AG
HYPO ALPE-ADRIA-BANK AG, former Austrian subsidiary of HYPO ALPE-ADRIA-BANK INTERNATIONAL AG, adopted a change in corporate name to Austrian Anadi Bank AG by means of an amendment to the articles of association approved at the extraordinary shareholder's meeting held on 16 June 2014.
June 27, 2014
Sevelda: "RBI to Increase the Cost Reduction Even More"
Raiffeisen Bank International must not only save 450 million euros, but about 600 million euros, says CEO Karl Sevelda.
June 16, 2014
Austrian Investment Funds Report Generally Positive Performance in May
Austrian investment funds recorded a mostly positive y/y performance at the end of May. Of the 1,604 funds operating on the market for at least one year, 1,338 showed a positive performance, while 262 of them saw a y/y negative performance. Four funds saw no change of the asset volume.
June 16, 2014
EBRD Provides €20 Mio Loan to Slovakia for Sustainable Energy Projects
The EBRD is deepening its support for sustainable energy investments in the Slovak Republic with a €20m loan to Slovenska Sporitelna, a.s. (SLSP), one of the country’s leading banks. The funds will be on-lent to private companies for renewable energy projects and energy efficiency in industry and buildings.
June 16, 2014
CEE-Initiative: Strengthening Investment Fund Business in Central- and Eastern Europe (CEE)
The Hungarian association BAMOSZ and the Austrian association VÖIG initiated a closer collaboration and tighter co-operation between fund associations in CEE, the so-called „CEE Initiative“. The member associations of the „CEE Initiative“ are (in alphabetical order): Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
June 16, 2014
EBRD Committed to Moldova as the Country Moves Towards Greater Regional Integration
“The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) stands ready to support Moldovan companies and foreign investors in Moldova as the country moves towards even greater regional integration,” said András Simor, EBRD Vice President for Policy, during his visit to Chisinau.
June 14, 2014
VÖIG: "In 2013 Retail Investors Continued to be Timid and Shy"
From the viewpoint of retail investors the year 2013 could have been really easy: a mixed fund portfolio with an increased share portion and selected corporate and government bonds. In retrospect, 2013 proved to be almost free of financial market turbulences after years of global financial market and economic crises as well as the debt crisis in the euro area.
June 14, 2014
Uniqa and VIG to Challenge Draft Hypo Law
Both companies said that they would take steps to protect their rights.
June 12, 2014
VIG Considers to Delist from Warsaw Stock Exchange
Listed insurer VIG is considering delisting from the Warsaw Stock Exchange, should it decide to merge with the Vienna bourse, CEO Peter Hagen told news agency Reuters in an interview.
June 12, 2014
Vienna Insurance Group - The Four Newly Elected Members of the Supervisory Board
Since the appointments of all ten members of the Supervisory Board expired, the Annual General Meeting elected a new Vienna Insurance Group Supervisory Board. Maria Kubitschek, Rudolf Ertl, Georg Riedl and Günter Geyer were elected to the Supervisory Board for the first time.
June 9, 2014
VIG Takes Over 100% of Life Insurer Skandia Poland
The Vienna Insurance Group AG (Wiener Versicherung Gruppe) has acquired 100 percent of shares in the life insurance company Skandia Zycie TU S.A. (Skandia Poland).
May 31, 2014
Sevelda: “Russia Still Crucial Market”
In the light of the close ties with regard to economic and energy relations with Russia Karl Sevelda, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) warns about the tightening of penalties against Russia.
May 23, 2014
Hypo Alpe Adria Appoints New Supervisory Board
At an Extraordinary General Meeting of Hypo Alpe Adria International on Friday, a new Supervisory Board was appointed.
May 23, 2014
Erste Group Bank AG: Voting Results of the 21st AGM - New Board Members
Erste Group Bank AG increased the number of its supervisory board members to eleven.
May 22, 2014
Erste Group Bank AG: Voting Results of the 21st AGM
Erste Group Bank AG has published the voting results of the 21st Annual General Meeting, which took place on 21 May 2014 at 10 a.m., as follows.
May 22, 2014
High Potential for Austrian Investments in Moldova
Austria is one of the most active countries in the CESEE region ranking first in foreign direct investments (FDI) in many countries.
May 22, 2014 · Updated: May 22, 2014; 13:05
Fischer: Room for Further Trade with Albania
Austrian President Heinz Fischer was paying a visit to Western Balkan States.
May 22, 2014
Austrian Oberbank Shines in Hungary
Austrian Oberbank bucks the trend of terminating business activity in Hungary. Instead, the financial institute plans on growing in one of the most difficult markets in Europe.
May 22, 2014
Billionaire Sheikh Al Jaber Sues Immoconsult and the Schwarzenberg Foundation
Due to a failed hotel project in Vienna real estate affiliate of Volksbank, Immoconsult, is facing a lawsuit by the Austrian/Saudi Arabian investor Mohamed Al Jaber.
May 21, 2014 · Updated: May 21, 2014; 18:51
S IMMO AG: Offer to Exchange S IMMO INVEST Participating Certificates to Open Tomorrow
Vienna based real-estate developing Company S Immo AG announces its offer to exchange S IMMO INVEST participating certificates for bonds.
May 20, 2014
Helvetia Takes Over Basler in Austria for EUR 130 Million
Helvetia takes over Basler Versicherungen in Austria for EUR 130 million, thereby becoming one of the Top 10 Austrian insurance companies.
May 16, 2014
Raids at Romanian Affiliate of VIG
A number of business locations of Omniasig, the Romanian affiliate of Austrian insurer VIG, were searched by the police. Several employees are accused of forgergy and abuse of authority.
May 14, 2014
Conwert Slips into the Reds
Austrian residential real estate enterprise is facing a hard time in Germany.
May 14, 2014
Bank Austria's Ukrainian Subsidiary Not Yet To Be Sold
Because of the crisis in Ukraine the planned sale of Bank Austria's Ukrainian subsidiary has been halted.
May 13, 2014
Romania: Banca Transilvania Gives Shares to Employees
As part of the loyalty program, the Romania lender gave almost 10 million shares to its employees.
May 12, 2014
Czech Arca Capital to Invest in Romania
As reported by daily E15, Czech investment group Arca Capital is planning to make a huge investment in Romania.
May 12, 2014
Croatia: Adris Grupa to Bid for Insurer Croatia Osiguranje
The Croatian financial regulator HANFA has approved Adris Grupa, the largest tobacco company on the Balkans, placing its bid to take over insurance company Croatia Osiguranje.
May 12, 2014
South Korean Bank Preparing for Business in CEE
Shinhan Bank, one of the largest banks in the South Korea, will open branches in Poland.
May 12, 2014
World Bank Approves Health Loan to Croatia
The Croatian government will use the World Bank’s funds for a national health program.
May 9, 2014
Romania: Raiffeisen Bank Issues Unsecured Bonds
Raiffeisen announced plans of issuing unsecured bonds at the stock exchange in Bucharest with a nominal value of RON 500m (€ 112.8m) with a maturity of five years.
May 9, 2014
Croatia to Place New Eurobond by June
The Croatian government plans to issue a Eurobond until the beginning of June.
May 9, 2014
Poland: Banking Industry’s Profits Down
In the first quarter this year, the net profit of Polish banks came at PLN 3.97bn (€ 944m, down by 2.9 percent year-on-year, as reported by the Polish financial market regulator KNF.
May 9, 2014
Sanction Imposed on Expobank
Russian-Latvian Expobank was added to the Canada’s black list.
May 9, 2014
Verbund: Trying to Get Rid of Sorgenia
The Austrian utility Verbund announced not being willing to invest any further money into loss-making Italian energy group Sorgenia.
May 8, 2014
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