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)

Hypo Group: Nowotny to Replace Liebscher

After Liebscher, head of Hypo Group’s task force, announced throwing in the towel Nowotny, Governor of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), will become his successor.

February 22, 2014

Felderer: Insolvency More Expensive Than Bad Bank

According to Felderer, president of the fiscal council, the option of insolvency for Hypo Group Alpe Adria is more expensive than the establishing of a national bad bank

February 22, 2014

Government Examines Haircut of Hypo Group’s Investors

Ignoring the warnings of Hypo Group’s task force, Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger now wants investors in Hypo Group to participate in the restructuring of the ailing bank.

February 21, 2014

CEE Financial Markets under Pressure as Riots Continue in Ukraine

CEE markets under pressure as Ukraine violence heats up. Biggest direct risk to Polish Zloty, but also to Hungarian Forint and Romanian Leu.

February 21, 2014

Serbia: Structural Reforms to Boost FDI

Recent projections of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) forecast foreign direct investments (FDI) to increase to € 1bn this year up from € 750m.

February 21, 2014

Fitch Keeps Rating for Austria at High Level

According to the Rating agency the downsizing of Hypo Group will burden the debt rate. However, the outlook for the country’s credibility was left at a “stable” outlook.

February 21, 2014

Spindelegger: Taxpayers Should Not Carry Whole Load

Finance Minister Spindelegger declared himself in favor of a haircut of creditors of problem bank Hypo Group.

February 20, 2014

Serbian Governor: Banking Sector Stable

According to Tabakovic, governor of NBS, the Serbian banking sector was solvent and well-capitalized.

February 20, 2014

Hypo Disaster: Who Are the Beneficiaries?

International investment companies, funds and domestic banks are the major recipients of the billions of Euros in the Hypo Group disaster.

February 19, 2014

Picker: Hypo to Cost Taxpayers “Only” up to € 4bn

According to CEO of Hypo Group Alpe Adria Picker, the ailing bank will burden taxpayers with “only“ € 4bn at the most. Head of IHS, Keuschnigg, warns the Austrian policy-makers of forwarding costs to bondholders.

February 19, 2014

Austria: Moody’s Downgrades Four Bonds

Moody’s downgraded four bonds of Austrian banks on Tuesday. The outlook is negative.

February 19, 2014

Erste: CEE Financial Market Not Concerned by Low Inflation

Low inflation will not change CEE market forecasts, according to Erste Group.

February 18, 2014

Poland: PKO BK Still Wants to Take Over Nordea

PKO BP had to extend the subscription period for the second time.

February 18, 2014

Nowotny: Negative Interest Rate Conveys Feeling of Crisis

Ewald Nowotny, member of the Council of the ECB (European Central Bank) and governor of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), expressed his rejection regarding a possible negative interest rate for banks.

February 18, 2014

Romania: Fit for Eurozone?

According to estimates by the Romanian government, the country is fit for joining the single currency union.

February 17, 2014

Cooperation between Vienna and Warsaw Stock Exchanges to Kickstart 2014

As announced by Adam Maciejewski, CEO of GPW, the operator of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), the cooperation between WSE and VSE (Vienna Stock Exchange) could be completed this year.

February 17, 2014

Fitch Keeps Polish Sovereign Rating Unchanged

The U.S. rating agency has reassessed Poland´s sovereign debt rating.

February 15, 2014

Threat of Bankruptcy: Moody´s Cuts Hypo Group Alpe Adria´s Rating

The U.S. rating agency downgrades the rating of the Austrian nationalized lender by four notches. Moody´s referred to the uncertainty and the vague statements of the Austrian government.

February 15, 2014 · Updated: February 15, 2014; 18:47

Dramatic Capital Outflow in CESEE

The countries of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe suffer from the dependence on foreign investments. Despite the economic recovery, FDIs are falling persistently.

February 15, 2014

Austria: Changes Ahead of Buwog’s IPO

Buwog, residential builiding affiliate of real estate company Immofinanz, will be listed from April 28 on and is supposed to become a candidate for the leading Austrian index ATX at the Vienna Stock Exchange (VSE).

February 14, 2014

Poland: PKO BP Planning to Establish Mortgage Bank

The Polish bank intends to found a mortage bank around the beginning of the year 2015.

February 14, 2014

Serbia: Key Rate Kept Untouched

The board of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) underlined the importance of a cautious monetary policy in the light of the current economic developments.

February 14, 2014

„We Were Cheated by BayernLB“

Hannes Androsch, head of the Hypo Group task force, thinks that the former Austrian government has made serious mistakes.

February 13, 2014

RBI Raises Another € 500m

After the capital increase, the Vienna-listed lender has raised capital in the amount of € 500m. The emission was significantly oversubscribed.

February 13, 2014

Immofinanz Kicking Off IPO of Buwog

Listed real estate company Immofinanz is kicking off its inital puplic offering of residential real estate affiliate Buwog.

February 13, 2014

Banks Lose Credibility and Trust

A survey reveals the fear of financial institutes enriching themselves at the expense of of private persons is widely spread.

February 12, 2014

Poland: Consumer Loans Expected to Rise Significantly

Last year consumer loans saw a 16 percent growth which leads to expecations that Poland will register a double-digit growth rate in 2014 as well.

February 12, 2014

Cernko: Wealthy to Support R&D in Austria

The CEO of Bank Austria calls upon the Austrian government to take into consideration the funding of research and development by wealthy individuals and regard this as part of their “tax duty”.

February 12, 2014

Challenging Business Environment for Croatian Banks

Last year profits of Croatian banks declined more than 73 percent.

February 12, 2014

Erste Group: Net Results Below Expectations

Erste Group provides business update for 2013: Improvement in risk costs is outweighed by one-off items and tax effects, impacting net profit

February 11, 2014

Ukraine: Tough Market for Foreign Banks

The coming two years will be challenging for foreign banks operating in Ukraine.

February 11, 2014

Vienna Insurance Group Shines in the Czech Republic

VIG continues to expand its market leadership in its largest CEE market.

February 11, 2014

RBI: Capital Increase Successfully Completed

RBI capital increase confirms excellent environment for raising capital on the Vienna Stock Exchange.

February 11, 2014

Bawag: Losses for Cerberus Running into Billions

There are persistent rumors that the U.S. investor may leave the Austrian bank. For Cerberus, Bawag is a disaster.

February 11, 2014

Serbia: Inflation Requires New IMF Agreement

In the light of a devaluation of the Dinar Serbia needs a new agreement with the IMF to improve funding and accelerate the realization of reforms.

February 10, 2014

Poland: Slight Drop in 2013 Banks’ Profits

Polish banks displayed a total net profit of PLN 15.43 billion in the financial year 2013, which is a slight decrease of 0.3 percent on an annual comparison basis.

February 10, 2014

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: The War of Nerves Has Begun

The Austrian government puts enormous pressure on the Austrian banking sector and does not exclude Hypo Group´s orderly bankruptcy anymore. The Austrian banking sector insistently warns of this option.

February 9, 2014 · Updated: February 9, 2014; 23:41

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Sevelda Rejects „Joint Bad Bank“

Karl Sevelda, CEO of Vienna-listed RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International), does not want to become shareholder of the common bad bank for the nationalized lender Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

February 9, 2014

ECB Wants to Supervise All Banks

For the European Central Bank, the current authority does not go far enough. The ECB wants to control all 6,600 banks in the Eurozone.

February 8, 2014

Wolf Theiss: „M&A in CESEE Grew Substantially“

The Austrian M&A advisor Wolf Theiss reports that M&A turnover in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CESEE) rose by 56% last year.

February 8, 2014

Sale of Bad Assets: UniCredit Under Pressure

The parent company of Bank Austria, the Italian lender UniCredit, wants to sell its risky assets as soon as possible. Insiders report that UniCredit wants to sell its “bad bank”.

February 8, 2014 · Updated: February 8, 2014; 14:12

Austrian Bad Bank Received Further State Aid

The Austrian Ministry of Finance injected € 150m into KA Finanz, the bad bank of the publicly held Kommunalkredit.

February 6, 2014

“Fragile Recovery in CEE Banking Sector”

According to the U.S. rating agency Fitch, the banking sector in Central and Eastern Europe is highly heterogeneous.

February 6, 2014

Czech National Bank Retains Monetary Strategy

The Czech National Bank keeps the reference rate at the record low and confirms its commitment to continue interventions.

February 6, 2014

Poland: Public Debt Falls Significantly

Due to the nationalization of the pension funds OFE, Poland´s public debt quota goes down to 50% of GDP.

February 6, 2014

Fitch Criticizes European Stress Tests

The rating agency argues that there is still a lack in technical details. Regarding the robustness of the stress tests, Fitch demonstrates skepticism.

February 6, 2014

CESEE: Stuck in Transition or Just a Break?

Despite all difficulties in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, the region remains essential for Austria. The long-term growth potential remains intact.

February 6, 2014 · Updated: February 6, 2014; 13:41

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Bankruptcy Would Affect Foreign Investors

In case of an unorderly insolvency of the Austrian nationalized lender, not only Austrian creditors would have to absorb losses. The majority of the bondholders are German and Swiss investors.

February 6, 2014

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Fitch Recommends “Joint Bad Bank”

According to the rating agency, the best alternative is a joint solution between the Austrian state and privately held banks. In return, the bank levy should be reduced, Fitch says.

February 5, 2014

Raiffeisen Bank International: Moody´s Downgrades Ukrainian Subsidiary

Due to the political instability, the U.S. rating agency lowers the rating of Aval Bank, the Ukrainian affiliate of Austrian RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International).

February 5, 2014