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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
Hypo Group: „We Are not the Only One Who Must Pay“
Austrian Minister of Finance Michael Spindelegger underlines that the Austrian taxpayers are not the only ones who must bear the losses of the nationalized lender Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
April 5, 2014
Treichl: „The U.S. Have Solved the Crisis Better“
Andreas Treichl, CEO of the Vienna-listed lender Erste Group, thinks that everything takes too long in Europe. The communication between banks and the government is insufficient, Treichl says.
April 5, 2014
Serbia: Vucic New Prime Minister
The chief of the Serbian Progressiv Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vucic will be nominated by the Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic as the new Prime Minister.
April 4, 2014
Austria: Carinthia Reluctant to Pay for Hypo Group
The Austrian province of Carinthia rejects contributing to the downsizing costs of nationalized Hypo Group. Finance Minister Spindelegger insists on € 500m and threatens with sanctions.
April 4, 2014
Wealthy Investing in Real Estates in Vienna
Vienna is considered a “safe haven” for real estate investments. In particular, luxury homes, such as the Palais Principe for instance, are more than attractive for wealthy investors.
April 4, 2014
Bosnian Billionaire to Acquire Hypo Group?
The Finance Ministry confirmed the announcement and is now examining the offer.
April 4, 2014
Poland: PKO BP to Help Finance Ukrainian Enterprises?
The biggest financial institute in Poland could get involved in a project financing Ukrainian businesses.
April 4, 2014
Austria: Capital Increase for Hypo Group Decided
The Austrian problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria will receive € 750m in fresh capital.
April 4, 2014
VBAG: No State Aids in 2014
The restructuring of VBAG Group is supposed to be completed until 2017, as announced by the banking group. From currently 48 regional bank shops in Austria nine regional banks are supposed to remain.
April 3, 2014
Poland: NBP to Stabilize FX Reserves
The Supreme Audit Chamber NIK in Poland called upon the National Bank in Poland (NBP) not to increase in foreign-exchange (FX) reserves but stabilize its level.
April 3, 2014
VIG: Takeover of Donaris Successful
Acquisition of the Moldovan insurer Donaris completed
April 3, 2014
Hungary: OTP Approaches Acquisition of MKB
MKB, the Hungarian loss-making affiliate of German regional lender BayernLB, is approaching its acquisition by the biggest lender OTP.
April 3, 2014
Poland: Banking Industry Expects Improvement in Results
The Polish banking sector expects net profits to increase in 2014.
April 3, 2014
Austria: Dispute about Bank Tax Culminates
The establishing of a new fund for the banking union will become a financial burden for banking institutes.
April 3, 2014
Oberbank: Slow Expansion Strategy to be Continued
The Austrian regional bank starts to enter the stage in two German states. The net income has reached a new record level.
April 2, 2014
CEE: Economy Could Become More Vulnerable to Crimea Crisis
If the political crisis in Crimea aggravates negative effects in the economy could soon become evident.
April 2, 2014
PKO BP Closes Takeover of Nordea
According to the Polish Bank, the takeover of the Polish affiliate of the Swedish banking group is concluded.
April 2, 2014
Poland: Banks Post Profit of PLN 25bn
In the financial year of 2013 Polish banks posted profits of more than PLN 25bn, as reported by Polish daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna citing figures by the Polish Financial Market Regulator KNF.
April 2, 2014
Austria: Faymann Insists on Bank Levy
Chancellor Faymann intends to keep the bank levy in spite of the planned insolvency fund, which is going to be established EU-wide.
April 1, 2014
Austria: Fitch Warns Banks of Risk with Business in Russia
The menacing sanctions against Russia with regard to the political crisis in Crimea could become a severe danger for Austrian banks.
April 1, 2014
Austria: Chancellor Calls for Reform of Investigation Committee
Chancellor Werner Faymann has today expressed his wish for a fast reform of parliamentary investigation committees.
April 1, 2014
Czech Republic: Banks’ Net Profits Decline
The majority of large banks operating in the Czech Republic have to face profit losses for the business year 2013.
April 1, 2014
Austria: Spindelegger Expects Significant Increase of Deficit
According to the Finance Minister, the consequences of the Hypo-disaster are “dramatic”. However, he does not see a danger of deflation.
April 1, 2014
Poland: PZU to Take over RSA’s Baltic Branch?
Polish insurance company PZU intends to take over the Baltic assets of British ailing insurer RSA.
April 1, 2014
Hypo Group: Settlement Rejected by BayernLB
The majority stockholder of BayernLB, the former parent company of Hypo Group Alpe Adria, is not willing to negotiate about a settlement with the Austrian problem bank.
April 1, 2014
Massive Tensions in Vienna´s Residential Property Market
In Austrian capital, rents are increasing unstoppably. Demand is still much bigger than supply.
March 31, 2014
BayernLB: “Odd“ Sponsoring Contracts in Carinthia
Former managers of the German regional bank are under suspicion of having bribed then-governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia.
March 31, 2014
Romania: Key Interest Rate Remains Unchanged
The central bank of Romania has left the main interest rate unchanged.
March 31, 2014
Austria: Dispute about Hypo Credit to Alpine
The granting of a loan to Alpine Bau, which went bankrupt soon afterwards, in the amount of € 25m by Austrian problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria has become an issue of the Austrian prosecution.
March 31, 2014
Poland: Raiffeisen Polbank Increases Net Profit
Net profits for Raiffeisen Polbank, the Polish branch of the Austrian lender, achieved a considerable increase in net profits.
March 31, 2014
Conwert to Withdraw from CESEE
The Vienna-listed real estate group wants to sell its assets in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. The sales proceeds are expected to reach up to € 200m.
March 29, 2014
Austria: VBAG Downgraded to Junk Status
Moody´s has lowered VBAG´s rating. According to the rating agency, the partly nationalized Austrian bank has no investment grade anymore.
March 29, 2014
KA Finanz: No More State Aids Necessary
The nationalized Austrian bad bank has finished the loss-making sale of credit default swaps. In the last six years, KA Finanz has downsized radically.
March 29, 2014
Hypo Group: “The People are Really Pissed Off“
According to Werner Kogler, financial spokesman and deputy party leader of the Austrian Greens, the Hypo commission appointed by the government is an “intolerable escape attempt”.
March 28, 2014
Austria: Industrial Production Loses Momentum
Austrian industry loses some momentum after strong growth at the start of the year.
March 28, 2014
Poland: Interests on Bank Deposits to Remain Low
Interest rates will only be raised at the end of 2014.
March 28, 2014
Hypo Petition Puts Pressure on Austrian Government
The support of the online petition for the establishing of an investigation committee has gained more than 105,000 supporters which puts increasing pressure on the government.
March 28, 2014
Austria: Moody’s Confirms Rating and Outlook for Carinthia
US rating agency rewards the government’s solution about Hypo Group with a confirmation of the creditworthiness of the province of Carinthia.
March 28, 2014
Austria: S&P Confirms Rating
US rating agency Standard & Poor’s has confirmed the Austrian rating at “AA+” with a stable outlook.
March 28, 2014
RBI to Keep Hungarian and Ukrainian Affiliates?
Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) considers keeping its affiliates in Hungary and Ukraine.
March 27, 2014
Austria: Economic Growth Slowly Getting in Gear
Wifo (Austrian Institute of Economic Research) projects economic growth in Austria to revive again only at the end of this year.
March 27, 2014
Austria: Hypo Commission Soon Ready to Investigate
The government’s commission for the investigation of Hypo Group’s nationalization is supposed to begin its assignment in one or two weeks.
March 27, 2014
RBI: Profit Shrinks by Almost A Quarter
RBI with consolidated profit of € 557 million Austria’s most profitable bank for the fourth time.
March 27, 2014
Raiffeisen Group: Uncertain Future
On Thursday Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) will present the annual figures of 2013.
March 26, 2014
Poland: Good Starting Point for Economic Growth
Economic growth for 2014 is expected to accelerate to 3.1 percent to 3.2 percent in the first quarter while for the full year it is anticipated to come at 3.5 percent, according to Polish Economy Minister Janusz Piechocinski.
March 26, 2014
BayernLB Threatens Hypo Group with Damage Claims
BayernLB, former parent company of Hypo Group Alpe Adria International, is threatening to claim damages from its former affiliate.
March 26, 2014
Hungary: 20th Consecutive Interest Rate Cut
The Hungarian central bank has cut the key interest rate by 10 basis points to 2.6 percent.
March 26, 2014
Austria: High Support for Hypo Group’s Investigation Petition
According to a decision in the petition committee, the online petition for the investigation of the nationlization of ailing Hypo Group Alpe Adria will be open for signing until the next committee meeting in June.
March 26, 2014