Latest News

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

Ferdinand Piëch: Fortune Transferred to Austrian Foundations

The 73-year-old Porsche co-owner and Volkswagen's supervisory board chairman Ferdinand Karl Piëch has bequested his fortune.

September 20, 2010

Industrial Producer Prices are Raising

Increasing upward trend of industrial producer prices in July 2010: +4.2% over July 2009; +0.4% compared to June 2010

September 17, 2010

ÖIAG: ÖVP vs. SPÖ

Schieder and Rudas demand dissolution of the state holding ÖIAG, Finance Minister Pröll, on the other hand, wants to “strengthen” it.

September 17, 2010

Export Indicator: The Economy is Expanding

According to the current results of the OeNB export indicator calculated on the basis of trucking mileage performance data of September 2010, the Austrian export economy has also expanded in the two summer months.

September 17, 2010

Labor market: Reduction of Full-Time Jobs Hits Women Hardest

As Statistik Austria reports, in the second quarter about 11,600 people less than last year sought work in Austria

September 17, 2010

Liquefied Natural Gas: Plans for a Route from Georgia to Romania

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is to be shipped from the Georgian port of Kulevi in the direction of Constanta.

September 17, 2010

CESEE Bank Conference: Joint Supervisory Academy in Vienna

Finance Minister Josef Pröll wants to create common standards for the CEE region with an Eastern Bank Supervisory Academy in Vienna.

September 17, 2010

Hypo Alpe Adria: Greek Entrepreneur Xeniadis Signals his Interest in Buying

The Greek businessman Vasileios Xeniadis is prepared to offer 1.35 billion euro for Hypo Alpe Adria.

September 16, 2010

Direct Connection with Kabul - Afghan Kam Air Lands in Vienna

The private Afghan airline Kam Air started with the direct flights Kabul-Vienna-Kabul.

September 16, 2010

Vienna International Airport: Costly Investment at Friedrichshafen Airport

The financial disaster relative to the new Skylink terminal, which will cost nearly one billion euro instead of 400 million, is certainly the biggest problem the airport’s top management is facing - but not the only big one anymore.

September 16, 2010

OeNB: First-time Increase of Banks’ Total Assets Since End of 2008

By the end of June 2010 the unconsolidated total assets of the reporting banks in Austria amounted to 1037.98 billion euro.

September 16, 2010

Wine Exports: Prices Rose by 14%

Local winemakers were able to achieve an average price of 1.91 € per liter for exported wine. However, the total volume of wine exported declined.

September 16, 2010

Unemployment rate down 4.4%

Stable labour market in the second quarter 2010; more men and less women were employed than in the second quarter 2009.

September 16, 2010

Austrian Post Refurbishes its Board

ÖIAG boss Peter Michaelis gives green light for the refurbishment of the Post’s board. Meanwhile, rumors are growing that the changes will not only affect the parcels sector.

September 16, 2010

FMA publishes Q2 report on insurance industry

After getting off to a strong start in 2010, Austria's insurance industry has enjoyed a solid second quarter. Premium revenues grew in all balance sheet groups.

September 15, 2010

Volksbank Vorarlberg: High Losses in Switzerland

Commitment to financial advisor JML did not go as desired: losses up to 3.9 million euro

September 15, 2010

ÖIAG Boss Michaelis Under Pressure

ÖIAG Boss Peter Michaelis considers that the "campaign" against him evidences that "the actual work of ÖIAG provides no target for criticism." He considers his 700,000-euro salary as justified.

September 15, 2010

Investkredit and ÖVAG: As Of Now, They Have a Common Board

In addition to CEO Gerald Wenzel, Wolfgang Perdich, Martin Fuchsbauer and Michael Mendel are also members of the common board. The merger of both financial institutions is to take place in early 2011.

September 15, 2010

Telekom Austria Buys Two Bulgarian Cable Operators

Telekom Austria buys two cable operators in Bulgaria: Megalan Network and Spectrum Net. The two companies are worth 83 million euro free of debt; Telekom will pay about 72 million through Mobiltel.

September 15, 2010

Consumer Price Inflation down at 1.7 % in August 2010; HICP 1.6 %

August inflation down to the lowest rate since February

September 15, 2010

Construction cost index up 3.4% y/y

Today, Statistik Austria announced that construction prices rose 3.4 percent compared to August 2009.

September 15, 2010

Polytec Takes Off on the Stock Market. Huemer's Vision Blooms Again

The share of the auto supplier Polytec surprises the Vienna Stock Exchange with price jumps. "Who knows what is behind it," they say.

September 14, 2010

FMA and OeNB Welcome the Basel III Agreement

The package draws the right lessons from the financial crisis and provides for reasonable transition periods.

September 14, 2010

CEE Companies in a Turmoil

According to a study by Deloitte, last year Eastern Europe’s top 500 companies showed a clear decline in sales.

September 14, 2010

Asfinag Bond: The Motorway Operator Picked Up 1.3 Billion Euro

The local motorway operator Asfinag picked up 1.3 billion euro on the capital market.

September 14, 2010

Russian Fund Accuses RZB of Money Laundering

The Russian fund Hermitage Capital, which has been at loggerheads with the Russian authorities for years owing to a major tax fraud case, now accuses the Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) for having aided and abetted the money laundering.

September 14, 2010

Magna - Siegfried Wolf to leave in November

Magna International Inc. today announced that Siegfried Wolf, Magna's Co-Chief Executive Officer, has resigned as a director and officer effective November 15, 2010.

September 13, 2010

EVN building cogeneration plant in Plovdiv/Bulgaria

Today, Prime Minister Bokyo Borissov, Provincial Governor Erwin Pröll and EVN's CEO Burkhard Hofer oversaw the ceremony for the construction of a highly efficient cogeneration plant in the city of Plovdiv.

September 13, 2010

The American Chamber of Commerce in Austria is celebrating its 50th Anniversary

For over 50 years AmCham Austria has been promoting economic and trade relations between Austria and the United States of America.

September 13, 2010

OMV targets a 20% market share in Serbia

Important changes are foreseen for 2011 in the Serbian oil industry. Because, effective from January 1, the energy company NIS will lose, albeit theoretically, its artificially upheld monopoly position…

September 13, 2010

Austria stays among the top three foreign investors of the Czech Republic

After the deep slump of the Austrian-Czech foreign trade during the crisis year 2009 by approximately 20%, things are going up steeply again.

September 13, 2010

Plansee expands into India and China

Despite the decline in sales, the Tyrolean company Plansee expands into Asia.

September 13, 2010

After its merger with PartyGaming, bwin has moved its headquarters to Gibraltar

The domestic Internet betting provider bwin recently merged with the British PartyGaming, and becomes the world's largest betting provider. However, the company has moved its headquarters from Vienna to Gibraltar after the takeover.

September 13, 2010

Hypo: 700,000 € go from Berlin to KPMG

The auditing firm, formerly headed by the current Hypo-boss Kranebitter, received more money than previously known.

September 13, 2010

Vienna International Airport: 13.0% increase in passengers during August 2010

In August 2010 the number of passengers handled by Vienna International Airport increased 13.0% year-on-year to 1,991,481.

September 10, 2010

Erste Bank intends to become Austria´s leading bank by 2015

Erste Bank, the banking unit of Erste Group responsible for Austria, announced that it was planning to overtake Raiffeisen and become Austria´s leading bank by 2015.

September 10, 2010

Sugar cartel held Austria by the short hairs from 2004 to 2008

Südzucker, Agrana and another provider sealed off the Austrian sugar market by collusion from 2004 to 2008. The Competition Authority has filed an application for a fine. A chief witness has spilled the beans.

September 10, 2010

Wifo: Economy grew by 2.4 % in the second quarter

According to the Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitut (Economic Research Institute) the growth in the second quarter was due mainly to exports and investment. For the rest of the year, however, the Institute expects a slowdown in economic activity.

September 10, 2010

ÖBB: Layoff of 100 executives and 1,000 administrative jobs

In order to save the financially strongly ailing ÖBB, it is being set on a course of austerity by the new boss, Christian Kern, who has been appointed on Friday. 100 executive and 1,000 administrative jobs are to be cut within the next three years.

September 10, 2010

XXXLutz takes over Slovenia's largest furniture retailer

The furniture store XXXLutz recently took over Slovenia’s largest furniture retailer Lesnina.

September 10, 2010