Latest News

Deripaska: Back to Austria as Strabag Shareholder?

In 2 weeks, on October 15, the deadline expires for Oleg Deripaska to re-purchase his 25% share of the domestic construction company Strabag for about half a billion euro.

September 29, 2010

Magna: Rapprochement to Opel through Astra-order

Magna will take over the development of a new Opel Astra model. Just a year ago, Magna attempted to acquire the whole German GM subsidiary, but the takeover was aborted by General Motors.

September 29, 2010

EU: Austria's Actual Net Contribution has Risen to 342 Million Euro

The net contribution to the EU rose again last year. Poland, with 6.5 billion euro is for the first time the biggest net recipient. Germany remains the biggest net payer with 8.1 billion euro.

September 28, 2010

BayernLB has to Wait 7 Years for 3.9 Billion from Carinthia

After the debacle of the Hypo Group Alpe Adria (HGAA), the Bayerische Landesbank will have to wait up to 7 years for the repayment of the 3.9 billion euro. The repayment plan provides for this period.

September 28, 2010

Humanomed Takes Over Management of Private Clinics in the CEE Region

The know-how of the private clinic operator is to be exported. The objective is not to only give advice, but also to take over the management of private clinics in the CEE region.

September 28, 2010

“GmbH light” Coming in Early 2011

The minimum capital will amount to 10,000 euro. Currently, the Amtsblatt (Official Journal) is still reluctant to reduce its fees for mandatory publications.

September 28, 2010

Insolvencies: Declining Trend for Both Companies and Individuals

KSV expects 10% less insolvencies for 2010, but warns about the consequences of fiscal budget adjustment.

September 28, 2010

Vienna Stock Exchange - Launch of Three Net Dividend Indices

The Vienna Stock Exchange launched three new indices today: ATX Net Total Return (ATX NTR), CECE Net Total Return (CECE NTR) and RDX Net Total Return (RDX NTR).

September 28, 2010

Austrian Real Estate: Increased supply of 339%

Office space supply is on rise, but demand is lagging behind. Prime rents and yields went down y/y.

September 27, 2010

CEE Real Estate: Outlook is brightening

CEE real estate stocks are currently in a phase of brisk corporate action. Financially sound companies with attractive assets are interesting takeover targets, while other companies are being taken over.

September 27, 2010

Elections in Styrya: SPÖ manages to claim first place, just.

The SPÖ was able to claim the first place after a thrilling count against the ÖVP. The FPÖ was able to double results as compared to 2005, and gets into the Landtag again.

September 27, 2010

ÖBB: 100 Million Euro Savings Through Improved Purchasing

ÖBB want to save 100 million Euro during the next three years with cheaper and better organized purchasing. Shunting and traction are merged.

September 27, 2010

Meinl Bank Pays 6 Million Euro: Airport Intl. and Power Intl. Reach a Partial Agreement

Meinl Bank and International Power pull back all the claims against each other, except those in the arbitration court.

September 27, 2010

Immofinanz: Net Income Decreases by 57%

Immofinanz AG showed half as much profit in the first quarter after its merger, as a lasting non-recurring effect from the first quarter. Earnings per share diluted after the merger with Immoeast.

September 27, 2010

Bank Austria: Primeo-investor Wins in First Instance

An investor asked Bank Austria to sell her Primeo participation two months before the Madoff fraud was busted, but Bank Austria has not paid up yet.

September 27, 2010

A-Tec - Franz Fehringer appointed as CFO

Franz Fehringer, head of the Treasury and Accounts Department, and a member of the management team, has been appointed as the group´s Chief Financial Officer.

September 27, 2010

Austrian Financial Services Discover Immigrants as Customers

Around 1.47 million people living in Austria have a migration background. Therefore, immigrants are an important target group for business. Domestic banks have also been getting into the so-called ethnic banking recently.

September 24, 2010

UniCredit: Andrea Orcel is Possible Successor to Profumo

Andrea Orcel, chief executive of the Global Banking and Markets division of Bank of America Merrill Lynch is rumored to be the favorite in the race to succeed the retiring UniCredit CEO Alessandro Profumo.

September 24, 2010

Austrian tourism - summer season 2010 plus 1.1%

The most important summer month stabilizes the positive development of the current season (+1.1%)

September 24, 2010

Oerlikon: Acquittal for Stumpf, Vekselberg, Pecik

In the case of Oerlikon, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court acquitted investors Viktor Vekselberg, Georg Stumpf and Ronny Pecik from the charge of violating the Exchange Act in the case of OC Oerlikon.

September 24, 2010

Elsner Provides Help in Finding Missing Bawag Funds

Former BAWAG CEO wants to clarify the fate of 1.7 billion euro of failed investments allegedly made by the speculator Wolfgang Flöttl to the detriment of BAWAG.

September 24, 2010

A-Tec has Good Prospects on Shipping Company in Rijeka

The Croatian Competition Agency (ATZN) gives the Austrian A-Tec group under Mirko Kovats good chances in the bid for the privatization of the shipyard "3 Maj" in Rijeka.

September 24, 2010

Vienna Insurance Group - Pre-tax profit forecast of 10 percent expected for 2010 and 2011

During the meeting of the supervisory board of the Vienna Insurance Group AG, the managing board advised that the target increase in pre-tax profit of at least 10 percent for the current business year is to be attained as planned.

September 24, 2010

Lenzing places EUR 120 million corporate bond with mainly private investors

Lenzing AG, a world market leader in man-made cellulose fibers, placed a seven-year corporate bond with a coupon rate of 3.875 %.

September 24, 2010

C-Quadrat stake held by AvW to be sold by auction

The liquidator of AvW Gruppe AG has decided, that the 32.59% stake in C-Quadrat Investment AG (1.422.365 shares) will be sold by auction on October 13, 2010.

September 24, 2010

MTH Handels-Holding of Josef Taus permitted to acquire German retail chain Mäc-Geiz

The sale of the insolvent German retail trade chain Mäc-Geiz has been completed. Anti-trust authorities have approved the takeover of the German company by MTH Handels-Holding GmbH (Vienna) controlled by the Austrian industrialist Josef Taus.

September 23, 2010

Alpenmilch and Käsehof Under the Leadership of Christian Leeb

After the merger between Alpenmilch Salzburg and Käsehof in the summer of 2010, both companies are under common management: Alpenmilch CEO Christian Leeb has now been appointed by the General Assembly also as Käsehof CEO.

September 23, 2010

Austria Continues Being the Largest Investor in Romania

"Romania is an important market in Eastern Europe for the Austrian economy. Its great importance for us is proved by the fact that Austria is by far the largest investor in Romania"

September 23, 2010

HTI Subsidiary Gruber & Kaja Receives 45 Million Euro Contract

HTI technology group wins a new major contract worth a total of around 45 million euro to be executed in the term of eight years.

September 23, 2010

Böhler-Uddeholm Forge Operation Obtains 130 Million Euro From voestalpine

The stock exchange listed steel group voestalpine has invested 130 million euro in a new forge operation at Böhler Edelstahl, Kapfenberg.

September 23, 2010

Furniture Trade Grows by Feeble 1.6%

Austrian furniture retail-sales reported a growth of just 1.6% and therefore has showed growth for the sixth consecutive time. The low rate is due to products that are actually not furniture.

September 23, 2010

Magna International - Openings of New Plants in St. Petersburg Area

Magna International Inc., the world’s most diverse automotive supplier, announced today the opening of three facilities in the St. Petersburg, Russia, area.

September 23, 2010

Economy - Registrations of motor vehicles up in August

Registrations of used motor vehicles in August 2010: +9.9%; passenger cars +11.4%, lorries +6.6%. A total of 85 041 registrations of used motor vehicles were observed in August 2010, which is 9.9% more than in August 2009.

September 23, 2010

Uniqa: Boss Klien Will Leave Mid-2011

The Supervisory Board of Uniqa has decided that CEO Konstantin Klien (59) will retire prematurely in mid 2011.

September 22, 2010

Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) Declined by 80%

Participation in companies and real estate are attractive, but Austrian firms are reluctant to make acquisitions in Eastern Europe.

September 22, 2010

Madoff Fund Report: Enormous Fees Without Any Value Added

After 9.5 years, 50,000 euro would have been eaten up by the "Primeo Select Fund" because of the high fees, is the opinion of an investors’ lawyer about the monies invested by Bank Austria with Bernie Madoff.

September 22, 2010

Liebherr Lienz Employees on Short Time

The refrigeration equipment manufacturer requests AMS for short-time working aid from mid-October to mid-April 2011. Liebherr had 80% of its workforce working short time already in 2009. At the Lienz site, a staff of 1,475 is currently employed.

September 22, 2010

Profumo Resigns: Bank Austria’s Parent Group UniCredit Under Pressure

The surprise departure of UniCredit CEO Alessandro Profumo is the talk of the town in the financial industry, also in Austria.

September 22, 2010

CEE Banking Sector Report: Still More Credit Losses in the East

The number of bad loans is expected to increase considerably in some Eastern European countries, a Raiffeisen-analysis shows.

September 21, 2010

Mitterlehner Meets Hendry: Development of Renewable Energies

The Finance Minister met with the British Energy Minister Charles Hendry for talks about the energy policy in the EU, the development of renewable energy sources and increasing the security of energy supply.

September 21, 2010

webfreeTV - Revocation of Listing at the Vienna Stock Exchange

webfreeTV.com, the multimedia service provider from Burgenland is being excluded from the Vienna Stock Exchange as of October 31 because of repeated violation of disclosure requirements.

September 21, 2010

Siemens Austria: Corruption Prosecution Expands Investigation

According to a media report, the prosecution has questioned two ex-managers of the group on suspicion of infidelity. They allegedly bribed business partners in South Eastern Europe.

September 21, 2010

Tirol Milch Votes for Takeover by Berglandmilch

The General Assembly resulted in 88.26% voting for the takeover by Berglandmilch of Upper Austria. The Berglandmilch cooperatives and the antitrust authority have to agree yet.

September 21, 2010

Zizala to spend EUR 15 million for plant development

Zizala Lichtsysteme GmbH, Wieselburg, Lower Austria invested some EUR 15 million in the development of its plant in Scheibbs, in a bid to raise its production capacity.

September 20, 2010

Wolford opened a production facility in Slovenia

The Bregenz based and stock exchange listed producer of lingerie and hosiery opened its plant in Murska Sobota, Slovenia.

September 20, 2010

Strabag acquires property und facility management service provider in the Czech Republic

The acquisition of 100% of ECM Facility a.s., Prague garantes the number 5 position in property & facility management in the the Czech Republic.

September 20, 2010

Martin Schlaff: Acquisition of Several Latvian Oil Transport Companies Planned

After four years of delay Schlaff is reported to be planning the takeover of several Latvian transport companies.

September 20, 2010

Austria's Management and Supervisory Boards’ Salaries on the Test Bench

The partly state-run OMV had the most expensive board of all Austrian corporations in 2009. In total, the oil company spent 10.2 million euro on its bosses, 23.4% more than the previous year.

September 20, 2010

A-Tec's Subsidiary AE & E: CFO Brandt Moves to Sulzer

AE & E’s CFO, Juergen Brandt, will be CFO of the Swiss industrial group Sulzer. Jürgen Boggild moves to the Board.

September 20, 2010

Swiss Post International is Not Interested in the Austrian Mail Business

According to its Austrian CEO, Georg Weidinger, the state-run Swiss Post is not one of the future competitors of the Post AG in the mail business,

September 20, 2010