Austrian Securities Market and Stock Exchange News and Analysis

Read the latest headlines and breaking news about the Vienna International Stock Exchange and the Austrian securities market (bonds, stocks)

Poland: Bank BZ WBK Expects High Growth of Profit

The Polish affiliate of Spanish Banco Santander, Bank BZ WBK, expects net profits in 2014 to increase compared to last year’s volume.

April 30, 2014

Hypo Group Further Losses to Be Expected

Huge losses by the sale of the SEE banking network could be expected.

April 30, 2014

Erste Group: Dramatic Profit Decline Stayed Away

Net profits amounted to EUR 103.3 million. Erste Group aims to keep profits stable in the near future.

April 30, 2014

Polish Banking Sector: “Too Early for Recovery”

The Polish banking sector has to be patient for economic recovery to show on their results.

April 29, 2014

Austrian Banking Sector Making Losses

For the first time in 2013, the Austrian banks made losses in the amount of € 1.035bn.

April 29, 2014

Real Estate: Buwog Shares Taking Off

The highly anticipated primary listing of residential real estate affiliate of listed Immofinanz, Buwog, will be completed on Monday.

April 28, 2014

Russia: Austrian Banks Demonstrate Serenity

Austrian banks try to take the downgrade of Russian sovereign bonds with composure. According to spokespersons, the downgrade has no danger potential.

April 26, 2014

RBI Gets Rid of Public Shareholder

After tough negotiations with the Austrian financial market supervision, the Vienna-listed CESEE lender Raiffeisen Bank International repays about the half of the participation capital.

April 25, 2014

Austrian Households Hold Financial Assets Worth € 500bn

Last year, financial assets grew by 1.4% in nominal terms. New debts grew by 0.5% only.

April 24, 2014

Buwog Soon to be Listed at Three Stock Exchanges

Immofinanz‘ residential real estate affiliate Buwog will celebrate its IPO at the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Vienna on Monday, April 28 and in Warsaw on Tuesday, April 29.

April 24, 2014

Austria: Difficult Market Situation for Selling Bawag

The selling of Bawag PSK proves difficult for its owner which is why an IPO is considered a realistic phasing-out scenario. However, experts doubt that an IPO will be a “highflyer”.

April 24, 2014

Poland: BNP Paribas Bank Polska Hopes for Higher Profits

Because of the merger with BGZ Bank BNP Paribas Bank Polska, the Polish branch of the French financial giant, expects a growth of return on equity (ROE) in the double-digit figures.

April 24, 2014

Vienna Real Estate Market Hopelessly Overstrained?

Real estate trustees in Vienna demand a limit to state-subsidized apartments and call for “unrestricted” rents.

April 23, 2014

Romania: BRD Group Societe General with High Expectations

The Romanian lender intends to increase its lending by four percent in 2014.

April 23, 2014

Slovenia: List of Debtors of NLB Published

The Slovenian bad bank BAMC (Bank Asset Management Company) has published the list of debtors of the country’s two largest banks, which are responsible for the disaster of the state-controlled banks.

April 23, 2014

Struggling Insurance Industry

Despite favorable results last year the European insurance market has to face a number of adverse factors.

April 23, 2014

Poland: Costs for Banking Services Rising Dramatically

The banking fees in Poland saw a dramatic increase in the second half last year.

April 23, 2014

Austria: Bawag to Go Public?

Bawag PSK is likely to go public, as reported by Bloomberg.

April 23, 2014

Serbia: Key Rate Kept Unchanged.

The NBS (National Bank of Serbia) decided to keep the policy rate unchanged as there is no threat of inflation.

April 22, 2014

UniCredit: Common Bad Bank with Intesa Sanpaolo?

The parent company of Bank Austria may create a common bad bank with its Italian competitor Intesa Sanpaolo. The bad bank may be sold later on.

April 22, 2014

Austrian Banking Sector: Less Banks, More Employees

Since 2000, the number of employees was up by 2,600 in the Austrian banking industry. In the same period, 165 bank shops were closed. Nevertheless, Austria is still over-banked.

April 22, 2014

Austria: Branch Network of Raiffeisen Shrinking

Because of the high number of mergers, the number of branch shops of Raiffeisen Group is dropping. However, the Austrian lender still has a market share of 43 percent.

April 18, 2014

Czech Republic: Interest on Mortgage Loans Dropped

Interest ratest on mortgage loans dropped to a record low to 2.93 percent last month.

April 18, 2014

Republic of Austria Liable for Domestic Banks in Ukraine and Russia

The Austrian Clearing Bank (OeKB) has assumed liabilities in the amount of € 4.0n in Russia and Ukraine. Besides the political risks, banks operating in Russia have to fear economic risks too.

April 17, 2014

Polish Insurer PZU Gains More Power in Baltic States

As announced by the Polish insurance company, PZU took over three Baltic competitors.

April 17, 2014

Slovenia: “Worst Thing if Nobody Dare Do Anything”

Finance Minister Cufer stressed that financial institutes needed stable guidance and confidence to continue their restructuring paths.

April 17, 2014

Hypo Group: Privatization of Balkan Business Until 2015

The nationalized problem bank intends to sell its Balkan business within 2014.

April 17, 2014

Conwert to Leave Germany?

A consortium of investors is highly interested in the German subsidiary of the Austrian real estate group. The consortium is led by conwert´s former board director Johannes Meran.

April 16, 2014

Austria: RLB OÖ Rows Bank on Threat to Leave

Last year regional lender RLB OÖ (Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberösterreich), part of Raiffeisen group, saw a decline of six percent in its balance sheet totals while the operating results increased by almost three percent.

April 16, 2014

S&P Upgrades Polish Banking Sector

Rating agency Standard & Poor’s has upgraded the Polish banking sector from “negative” to “stable”.

April 16, 2014

RBI Terminates Business on Crimea

The Ukrainian affiliate of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), Bank Aval, has terminated its business activity on Crimea.

April 15, 2014

Fricke: “Man Needs Relatively Little Bank”

Fricke, chief economist at the European Climate Foundation and author of “Wie viel Bank braucht der Mensch?" (How much bank does man need?)

April 15, 2014

“Bank Rescue is a Crime”

Martin Ehrenhauser, leading candidate of the Austrian electorial alliance “Europa Anders”, which is running for the EU elections, has voiced harsh criticism about the saving of financial institutes.

April 14, 2014

Slovenia: Head of NLB Throws in Towel

On Friday France Ahar, President of the supervisory board of the biggest lender of Slovenia, state-controlled NLB, handed in his resignation.

April 14, 2014

Uncertainty in Eastern Europe Makes RBI Nervous

In the last few months, the frame conditions in Russia become more and more unpredictable for foreign investors. For RBI, Russia is the most important market.

April 12, 2014

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Massive Losses in Italy

Last year, the distressed Austrian lender recorded losses in the amount of € 2.7bn. In Italy, losses were highest.

April 11, 2014

Raiffeisen Zentralbank Posts Better Results

The Viennese lender RZB, top institute of the Austrian Raiffeisen sector, posts a significant increase in net income. Nevertheless, the core tier 1 capital quota was down slightly.

April 11, 2014

Slovenia: Banka Celje Trying to Fend Off Bailout

The Slovenian lender is considering a capital increase to avoid national bailout.

April 11, 2014

Austria: VBAG Sells Malta Affiliate

Partly nationalized VBAG (Österreichische Volksbanken AG) has sold its banking affiliate VB Malta to Maltese Mediterranean Bank (MedBank).

April 11, 2014

Poland: Number of Consumer Loans Increases

According to Polish credit bureau BIK, the number of granted consumer loans has reached a new record.

April 11, 2014

Hypo Group: Disastrous Losses Revealed

Huge write-offs and value adjustments have sent losses of nationalized problem Hypo Group Alpe Adria soaring. Losses running into the billions are expected.

April 10, 2014

Poland: Key Rate Kept on Hold

The Monetary Policy Council of Poland has kept the key interest rate on hold since it ended easening in July last year.

April 10, 2014

Poland: NBP Posts No Profits

In 2013 the Polish National Bank (NBP) posted no profit.

April 10, 2014

Austria: Immofinanz to Remain in ATX Five

As announced on 4 March 2014, the ATX committee discussed about the future membership of Immofinanz AG in the ATX five.

April 10, 2014

Austria: Hypo Group Capitalized Again

The Austrian state has filled the capital hole of the ailing bank again.

April 9, 2014

Erste Group to be Relocated to the Czech Republic?

CEO of Erste Group, Andreas Treichl, has informed Czech President Milos Zeman about the bank’s intention to move to Prague in the coming years.

April 9, 2014

Hypo Group: Former CEO Sentenced to Prison

Former CEO of Hypo and investor Tilo Berlin was sentenced to more than two years in prison.

April 9, 2014

Poland: BZ WBK to Take Over Santander Consumer Bank

Bank BZ WBK was given the go-ahead by the Financial Market Regulator KNF to acquire a 60 percent stake in retail bank Santander Consumer Bank (SCB) from their joint parent bank Banco Santander.

April 9, 2014

Fitch: Polish Rating Foundations Very Solid

As reported by news portal “Warsaw Voice”, rating agency Fitch considers the Polish credit rating foundations to be very solid.

April 8, 2014

Hypo Group too Expensive for BayernLB

According to an official expert, regional German lender BayernLB’s fatal decision to take over Hypo Group Alpe Adria was based on questionable company evaluations.

April 7, 2014