Latest News

Timber Production Increased Slightly Again in 2010

The timber harvest increased last year by 6.6% compared with 2009. Climate-damaged timber has decreased by 14%.

April 20, 2011

Vienna Stock Exchange: Winners and Losers (2011-04-20)

Daily News-Flash from the Vienna Stock Exchange: Upgrades & Downgrades, Winners & Losers.

April 20, 2011

Warimpex to launch a Private Placement of Convertible Bonds

The Austrian real estate company intends to issue convertible bonds amounting to € 29.73m at the Warsaw Stock Exchange in order to "enhance financial flexibility".

April 20, 2011

Record Results for Rosenbauer Group

The Austrian company manufacturing fire fighting vehicles could realize a rise of 70% in EBIT. Export ratio amounts to 93%.

April 20, 2011

Frauenthal: Staff Returns

The Styrian supply company was hard hit by the crisis. After an unavoidable workforce reduction, capacities are growing again.

April 19, 2011

Decrease in Profit at Hypo Lower Austria

Despite improvements in operating profits, net profit of the company drops from € 19.8m to € 7.1m.

April 19, 2011

OMV: German Refinery to be Converted

Because of the failures of Libyan oil imports, the OMV refinery at Burghausen is converted to alternative crudes.

April 19, 2011

Rethinking of Health Policy Required

Junge Wirtschaft (Young Business) demands more economic incentives for healthy lifestyles for employees. This should allow an increase in retirement age.

April 19, 2011

Bad Image for Tourism-Related Professions

Austria's tourism industry workers are dissatisfied with their jobs because of relatively low pay and bad working conditions.

April 19, 2011

Insolvencies on the Rise Again

Although insolvencies for the full year 2010 decreased by almost 6%, there sees to be a trend reversal in the first three months of 2011.

April 19, 2011

Vienna Stock Exchange: Winners and Losers (2011-04-19)

Daily News-Flash from the Vienna Stock Exchange: Upgrades & Downgrades, Winners & Losers.

April 19, 2011

Losses for update software AG

The Austrian software company, which is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, records declining sales as well as operating losses.

April 19, 2011

Prices for Industrial Goods still on the Rise

Industrial producer prices are still increasing in Austria: +5.3% in February 2011 compared to February 2010.

April 19, 2011

Moderate Increase in Used Motor Vehicles

Registrations of used motor vehicles from January to March 2011: +6.2%; passenger cars +5.8%, lorries +3.9%

April 19, 2011

Austrian Research Intensity Expected to be 2.79% of GDP in 2011

According to an estimate of Statistics Austria, for the first time presumably more than €8 billion will be spent on research and experimental development (R&D) in 2011.

April 19, 2011

Erste Group Manages € 1.00bn increase of Slovak sovereign bonds

Total orders at approximately € 1.4bn from almost 80 investors . Approx. 80% have been subscribed internationally, mostly from Czech, Germany, Austrian, Benelux and Asian investors

April 18, 2011

GATX Rail Europe Announces Entry into Turkish Marketplace

The Vienna-based GATX Rail Europe today announced its entry into the Turkish marketplace with the deployment of newly-manufactured railway tank wagons.

April 18, 2011

Vienna Stock Exchange: Winners and Losers (2011-04-18)

Daily News-Flash from the Vienna Stock Exchange: Upgrades & Downgrades, Winners & Losers.

April 18, 2011

ÖVAG Group Achieved Turnaround in 2010

Operating results rose by 34% against 2009, profit after taxes was € 55m. The government participation capital will be refunded this year.

April 18, 2011

Sanochemia: Capital Increase Disappointing

The Austrian pharmaceutical company could not meet its own expectations regarding the capital increase. A strategic investor bailed out.

April 18, 2011

Maria Fekter is the New Finance Minister

As part of the changes in the ÖVP government team, Minister for Internal Affairs Maria Fekter changes over to the more prestigious Ministry of Finance

April 16, 2011

Cooperation between T-Mobile and Orange

A joint radio network is established by the German and the French telecommunications groups in Austria.

April 16, 2011

Financial Problems in Austrian Municipalities

The revenue of Austrian municipalities should not be fall further in 2011, however, new expenditures will be caused by additional competences.

April 16, 2011

Inflation went up to 3.1%

Austrian Consumer Price Inflation increased to 3.1% in March 2011 - the main drivers are energy and food prices.

April 16, 2011

"Austria Has a Historical Chance to Become Europe’s Logistics Hub"

Sources from the transport industry consider that Austria offers potentials, mainly in the Danube and rail traffic.

April 16, 2011

Real Purchasing Power: The Gap Between Austria and the CEE Region is Getting Smaller

For the coming years, a steady rise in unit labor costs in the CEE countries with the corresponding impact on the competition for business locations is expected.

April 16, 2011

BDI – BioEnergy: Management Board Changes

The founders of BDI – BioEnergy International AG, Wilhelm Hammer (64), CEO, and Helmut Gössler (52), CTO, will be leaving the Management Board of the Austrian biotechnology company.

April 16, 2011

Isovoltaic Cancels IPO

The Austrian solar technology company, which should have realized the IPO this week, intends to put effort into its growth without a stock market listing.

April 16, 2011

Vienna Stock Exchange: Winners and Losers (2011-04-15)

Daily News-Flash from the Vienna Stock Exchange: Upgrades & Downgrades, Winners & Losers.

April 16, 2011

Austrian Construction Costs Increase Further

Construction cost continued to increase sharply in March 2011: +3.3% against 2010.

April 16, 2011

ÖVAG to be Split

Resolution to transfer the banking business of Österreichische Volksbanken-Aktiengesellschaft (ÖVAG) to Investkredit Bank AG by way of de-merger planned for 19 May 2011.

April 16, 2011

Founding conference of the “CESEE Insurance Supervision Initiative” in Vienna

The “CESEE Insurance Supervision Initiative” is holding its founding conference today and tomorrow in Vienna.

April 16, 2011

Lenzing to switch to prime market of Vienna Stock Exchange on 18 April

Lenzing AG will start listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange’s prime market – the premium segment – as of 18 April 2011.

April 16, 2011

Austria Fell for the First Time in the International Property Rights Index

The IPRI compares 129 different countries for their economic benefits in strong protection of land, intellectual property and other private property.

April 15, 2011

ÖBB Debt Reduction is Further Delayed

The debt of the Federal Railroad increases dramatically through the acquisition of a 25% share in the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) project,

April 15, 2011

OMV: No Sale of Stake in Borealis

The Austrian energy group OMV holds 36% of Borealis. IPIC, itself involved in OMV appears to be interested in the OMV share.

April 15, 2011

Raiffeisen Zentralbank Posts 57% Increase in Profits

Profit before tax: € 1,292 million (+56.8 per cent) - Return on equity before tax 12.5 per cent (+3.7 PP).

April 15, 2011

Payer Takes over Fluid Pack Production from Roche

July 2011 will see Roche Diagnostics in Graz transfer 6 fluid pack production systems to Payer International Technologies in St. Bartholomä. The cooperation with Roche continues.

April 15, 2011

Sparkassen Immobilien AG: Significant EBIT Improvement

The real estate group announced its annual results for 2010. EBIT for the year ended as at 31 December 2010 improved by more than € 110m to € 60.5m.

April 15, 2011

Immofinanz Opens Tenth Retail Park in Slovakia

STOP.SHOP., an Immofinanz Group umbrella brand for specialty shopping centres in Central Europe, continued its growth course with today’s opening of the tenth retail park in Slovakia.

April 15, 2011

Rising Real Estate Returns in Austria

Institutional investors could achieve an average total return of 5.9% (before tax and finance) in Austria in 2010 with directly held real estate.

April 15, 2011

Semperit AG Holding: Thomas Fahnemann succeeds Rainer Zellner as CEO

New composition of Management and Supervisory Boards. Annual General Meeting approves dividend of € 1.25 per share.

April 15, 2011

Spindelegger New Vice-Chancellor and Head of ÖVP

Michael Spindelegger succeeds Josef Pröll as leader of the conservative party and Vice-Chancellor. Who will be in charge of the Minister of Finance, is still not clear.

April 15, 2011

Households are Relying Increasingly on Managed Financial Products

Almost half the savings of Austrian households were invested in mutual fund shares, life insurance or pension funds, i.e. in managed financial products.

April 15, 2011

Strabag Expands its Activities in Hydraulic Engineering Sector

The Austrian construction company acquires 100 % of the German civil hydraulic engineering firm Ludwig Voss, Cuxhaven.

April 14, 2011

ÖBB Promote Construction of the Brenner Tunnel

After the ÖBB detached themselves from the financing of the Brenner tunnel in February, an agreement was reached with the Ministry of Finance.

April 14, 2011

Electric Mobility as a Topic of the Future for Domestic Enterprises

Austria's top politicians are expecting a high potential for Austria's economic landscape on occasion of the opening of the EL-MOTION congress.

April 14, 2011

Verbund: Expected Improvement in Earnings for 2011

Wolfgang Anzengruber, CEO of the Austrian energy group Verbund, foresees growth in earnings and a stable result for 2011

April 14, 2011

EVN Makes € 105m Investment in Croatia

The Croatian subsdiary of the Austrian energy company EVN started construction works on Zadar county gas network.

April 14, 2011

Austria's trade as a Job Creation Engine

77,000 jobs were created by trades and crafts in the last eight years. The manufacturing industry lost 17,000.

April 14, 2011