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Banking Industry
Bulgaria: Bank Secret Wobbles
The Bulgarian National Bank warns of an easing of the bank secret. The Bulgarian Parliament argues that the bank secret protects money laundering activities.
October 3, 2012
Erste Group´s Core Shareholder Sells 14 million Shares+
Erste Stiftung, the core shareholder of Austrian Erste Group, remains the biggest shareholder, though.
October 2, 2012
Raiffeisen Brand to be Introduced in Slovakia
The Austrian bank will open its first branches in November.
October 2, 2012
RBI: Poland Shows Stability
In Poland, Raiffeisen Bank International´s NPL ratio comes at 8%. By contrast, Ukraine and Poland are much more problematic.
October 1, 2012
Fekter Promotes Financial Transaction Tax
The Austrian Minister of Finance wrote a letter to the EU Commission. She argues that a financial transaction tax would be economically reasonable.
October 1, 2012
Slovenian Recession Aggravates
In 2012, the Slovenian economy is expected to shrink by 1.8%. Next year, Slovenia will not have reached the growth zone.
October 1, 2012
Austrian Budget Targets Will Not Hold
In August, Finance Minister Maria Fekter underlined that the budget deficit will not exceed 2.9% of GDP. Due to the banking package, the budget deficit will be higher, though.
October 1, 2012
Raiffeisen: CEE Network to be Closed
Austrian RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International) announces that the expansion in Central and Eastern Europe will be concluded soon.
October 1, 2012
Bank Secret: Semeta Criticizes Austria´s Position
According to the EU Commissioner Algirdas Semeta, Austria´s bank secret is “out-dated”. He criticizes that Austria and Luxembourg still reject to give up the bank secret.
October 1, 2012
Sale of Kommunalkredit: First Offers Expected
The nationalized Austrian bank should be sold until June 2013. Next week, the first non-binding offers are expected.
September 29, 2012
Serbia: Bad Loans Declining Slightly
At the end of June, the share of non-performing loans came at 19.5%.
September 29, 2012
CEE Equity: RBI Cautiously Optimistic
RBI forecasts a slight increase in yields for Poland, Hungary, Russia and the Czech Republic. Austrian ATX should grow moderately in the next 12 months.
September 28, 2012
Austrian Companies Expect Increase in Lending Costs
Due to Basel III, lending will become more expensive, many Austrian managers and entrepreneurs think.
September 27, 2012
Slovenia “No Bail-Out Candidate”
Slovenia ´s former Prime Minister Anton Rop is optimistic that the country will manage the crisis.
September 27, 2012
Stronach Founds New Party: „Historical Event“
The former CEO of the Canadian automotive group Magna has presented his new party “Team Stronach” today.
September 27, 2012
Crucial Days for Slovenia
This week, Slovenia´s Parliament may decide on establishing a bad bank. After Prime Minister Janez Jansa warned of a national bankruptcy, the Slovenian opposition is under pressure.
September 26, 2012
Banking Package: Costs up to € 4.8bn
The Austrian Audit Court expects that the banking package will be much more expensive than it was said before. Moreover, the Audit Court criticizes the government massively. The control mechanism would be too weak.
September 26, 2012
Hypo Group: Problems in Italy
The Austrian banking group, which was nationalized in 2009, must downsize. The sale of the Italian subsidiary proves difficult, however.
September 25, 2012
Moody´s Retains Austrian Triple A
The U.S. rating agency also confirms the negative outlook. Austria´s strengths are the growth rates and the low unemployment rate.
September 22, 2012
Slovenia Creates Bad Bank
The Slovenian government aims to lower risky assets of the financially stricken banking sector. A major capital increase may be necessary.
September 21, 2012
VBAG to Cut More than 1,000 Jobs
Today, the Austrian problem bank announced to sharpen its austerity program radically. Until 2017, VBAG must be downsized to the half of its current size.
September 21, 2012
Volksbank International AG (VBI) Enlarges Managing Board
Thoralf Arlt and David O’Mahony are appointed to the VBI Board by RussianSberbank.
September 21, 2012
Slovakia: Saving Grows Despite Falling Real Income
On average, deposits come at € 4,379. Against 2011, this is an increase by 6.1%.
September 21, 2012
Haynes: Cerberus Supports Bawag
Bawag´s CEO Byron Haynes confirms that the bank will cut jobs. The customer segment should be kept, however. Instead, the cost structure should become more efficient.
September 20, 2012
Poland: Standard & Poor´s Upgrades Banking Industry
The U.S. rating agency upgrades the banking sector´s risk score.
September 20, 2012
European Commission Approves State Aid for VBAG
The European Commission has today approved the comprehensive restructuring plan developed by Österreichische Volksbanken-AG (VBAG) in the wake of the financial and economic crisis to restore long-term profitability.
September 19, 2012
Costs of Austrian Banking Package: € 2.36bn
Since 2008, the Austrian government has resolved rescue packages worth € 21bn. Expenses totaled € 4.169bn, revenues reached € 1.814bn.
September 19, 2012
Fekter: “Spanish Banks Need € 60bn”
According to Austria´s Minister of Finance Maria Fekter, the European Union focuses on Spain. A Greek exit would be no issue anymore.
September 18, 2012
Austria Wants to Unload Hypo Group
In 2009, BayernLB sold the financially stricken bank to the Austrian state. Now, the Austrian Republic may appeal against the sale.
September 18, 2012
Banking Supervision: Nowotny Warns of Over-Ambition
According to the governor of OeNB (Austrian Central Bank), it would be dangerous to establish new institutions without a democratic legitimization.
September 18, 2012
Bawag to Cut 700 Jobs
The Austrian bank plans to sharpen its austerity program. The private trade segment should be downsized in order to reduce the equity requirement.
September 18, 2012
Implementation of Banking Union to be Postponed
Initially, the Commission of the EU intended to introduce the banking union in 2013. After the fierce resistance of some member states, the Commission gives up its plans for the time being.
September 17, 2012
VBAG Streamlines Management Board
Wolfgang Perdich to step down from Board of Management on 30 September 2012.
September 17, 2012
Austrian Banks View Savers Protection to be Endangered
The planned unification of the deposit protection is met with skepticism at Austrian banks. As the details are not clear yet, the deposit protection is yet no issue anyway.
September 15, 2012
VBAG Redeems Bonds
The partly nationalized Austrian bank has repaid bonds guaranteed by the Austrian state.
September 14, 2012
Banking Union: Austrian FMA Wants to Integrate Eastern European Countries
According to the board of Austria´s Financial Market Authority, not only the banks of the Eurozone should be supervised.
September 13, 2012
Hypo Group Cuts Jobs in Italy
The Austrian bank continues its downsizing program. 118 out of 403 jobs will be reduced in Italy.
September 13, 2012
„Banking Union Must Not Become Burden for Real Economy“
The Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) underlines that the banking union must be competition-neutral. Above all, the real economy must not face liquidity constraints, IV says.
September 13, 2012
Erste Group Expects Higher Equity Quota
The Vienna-listed Erste Group expects that a new minimum equity quota will be prescribed in 2013.
September 12, 2012
Slovenian Crisis: Opposition Reassures
Recently, Prime Minister Janez Jansa warned of a national bankruptcy. For the opposition, Slovenia is far from declaring its illiquidity.
September 11, 2012
Bank Austria: Bernkopf New Management Board Member
Helmut Bernkopf becomes Management Board member of Bank Austria with responsibility for the bank’s private and corporate customers
September 11, 2012
Hungary: Bank Tax Intake Lower than Expected
The bank tax proceeds only reach 40% of the planned volume.
September 10, 2012
Slovenia: Juncker Calls for Reforms
The chairman of the euro-group Jean-Claude Juncker warned Slovenia. “The situation is critical, there is no time to lose.”
September 10, 2012
Investigation of Non-Performing Loans
The Slovenian public prosecutor´s office investigates the level of non-performing loans at the two biggest banks NLB and NKBM.
September 8, 2012
S&P Criticizes Weak Capital Base of Austrian Banks
According to the U.S. rating agency, Austrian big banks should increase their equity base in order to compensate further risks.
September 7, 2012
S&P: Foreign Currency Loans Endanger Austrian Banks
According to the U.S. rating agency, the high volume of foreign currency loans is a big danger for Austria´s banks. Nevertheless, the Austrian banking sector achieved the second best rating.
September 6, 2012
Hypo Group´s Capital Shortfall at € 2.2bn
Today, the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) announced its new estimation regarding the nationalized banking group. Insiders fear that Hypo Group needs even more money.
September 6, 2012
Slovenia: „Irish or Greek Way“
The Slovenian economist Egon Zakrajsek explains that Slovenia´s illiquidity only a question of time. The problem banks should be sold, he recommends.
September 5, 2012
Oberbank to Expand in Hungary
The Austrian regional banks plans to open new branches in Hungary
September 5, 2012
Slovenia „No Problem for Austrian Banks“
Although Austria is the biggest investor in Slovenia, the Austrian banking industry does not fear a national bankruptcy.
September 5, 2012
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