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Orban Defends Hungarian Economic Policy
The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Austrian policymakers in Vienna. The Hungarian bank tax should be replaced by a financial transaction tax.
June 13, 2012
Austrian Foreign Currency Loan Level Declining
FMA Q1 2012 Quarterly Survey on Changes in Foreign Currency Loans: Volume of outstanding FX loans continues long-term fall.
June 13, 2012
Erste Group Manages Bond Issue in Poland
Poland new long 10-year sovereign bond issue had a volume of € 1.5bn. The issue was more than 2x over-subscribed.
June 12, 2012
Hypo Group: The Time is Pressing
Until the end of this year, the Austrian nationalized banks needs an equity quota of 12.0%. This will not be achieved without special measures.
June 11, 2012
Austrian Banks Perform Well in Eastern Europe
The Austrian banks did not overreach themselves in Eastern Europe, the economist Bernhard Felderer says. By contrast, UniCredit, RBI and Erste Group are highly profitable.
June 11, 2012
Austrian Banks Cut Exposure in Spain
Erste Group, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) and KA Finanz have the highest exposure among Austrian banks.
June 11, 2012
Moody´s Warns Austria of Another Downgrade
The U.S. rating agency may downgrade European AAA-countries like Austria, Germany or France soon.
June 9, 2012
Nowotny Pushes Spain to Call for Help
The governor of Austria´s Central Bank Ewald Nowotny appeals on the Spanish government to call for help and fears that the situation could become even worse for Spain otherwise.
June 9, 2012
Fischer Has Understanding for Bank Tax in Slovakia
Slovakia wants to introduce bank taxes. Austria´s Federal President Heinz Fischer, who met his Slovakian counterpart Ivan Gasparovic, does not have objections.
June 9, 2012
TLM Sale Process Stopped
Austria´s Hypo Group sells the Croatian aluminum company TLM. After the signing with the designated buyer, the Swiss Montana Group, the sale must be re-started.
June 8, 2012
Bad Bank for Hypo Group?
The nationalized Austrian bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria considers to create a bad bank in order to avoid further capital injections.
June 8, 2012
„There´s no Crisis in Eastern Europe“
Austrian economists and bankers do not comprehend the downgrade by Moody´s. The risk in Eastern Europe would be more differentiated, OeNB´s governor Nowotny said.
June 8, 2012
Austrians Highly Care About Retirement Provision
Austrians highly appreciate the security and stability of their own country and this is also reflected in their approach to financial matters and retirement provisioning.
June 8, 2012
Kommunalkredit Sale: Austria Hires Morgan Stanley
The nationalized Austrian lender Kommunalkredit should be sold until 2013. The U.S. investment bank should act as commission agent.
June 6, 2012
„Bank Union is Still Far Away“
Ewald Nowotny, Governor of Austria´s Central Bank, thinks that a bank union in the Eurozone would still take some time. Erste Group´s CEO Andreas Treichl approves the idea.
June 6, 2012
CEE Banking Sector „Performs Well“
The Austrian Raiffeisen Centrobank sees high-growth potential in the CESEE region. Loan growth is at „healthy levels“, there are „no signs of a credit crunch“.
June 6, 2012
Downgrade for Austrian Banks
The U.S. rating agency Moody´s downgrades Erste Group, Raiffeisen Bank International and Bank Austria.
June 6, 2012
Erste Raises Stake in BCR
Erste Group’s ownership in BCR increases to 93.27%, following the successful buyout offer for minority shareholders.
June 5, 2012
EU Calls on Austria to Accelerate Reforms
Austria has to put more effort in reforms. In the fields of education, labor market, retirement plan and budget consolidation, Austria shows deficits.
June 1, 2012
Treichl: „Spain Needs Help“
The CEO of theAustrian Erste Group Andreas Treichl is in doubt whether Spain may conquer the crisis without help. Regarding Greece, Europe has to pay anyway, Treichl thinks.
June 1, 2012
OeNB Reacts to EU-Commission´s Critique
The EU Commission warned Austria of the big lending exposure in Eastern Europe. According to the Austrian Central Bank, the CESEE region must be seen differantiated.
May 31, 2012
Participation Capital: € 98m Interest Payment by Erste Group
The Austrian bank pays € 98m in interest to the Republic of Austria.
May 31, 2012
Austrian Business Location: Further Slump in Competitiveness
According to the Swiss Management Institute IMD, Austria only ranks 21th among 59 analyzed countries. The Austrian tax policy is the absolute weak point.
May 31, 2012
The Euro - A Big Error (Part 4)
The common currency did not create convergence, but widened the gap between Northern and Southern Eurozone member states.
May 31, 2012
Androsch Criticizes Hypo Group Purchase
In 2009, the Austrian state nationalized the financially stricken Hypo Group. Much time was wasted, the industrialist and Fimbag board member Hannes Androsch thinks.
May 30, 2012
Austrian Budget Target Endangered
In spite of decreasing revenues and rising expenses, Austria´s Minister of Finance Maria Fekter expects to reach the budget target.
May 30, 2012
Exposure in Eastern Europe Remains Austria´s Weak Point
The Commission of the European Union warned Austria of the big exposure of domestic banks in Eastern Europe. Moreover, the austerity package was criticized.
May 30, 2012
VBAG Achieves Turnaround
Stabilisation measures for the partly nationalized Austrian VBAG take effect: satisfactory first quarter result.
May 29, 2012
FMA Extends Ban on Short Selling
The Austrian Financial Marketn Authority extends the temporary ban on naked short selling of selected financial stocks.
May 29, 2012
The Euro - A Big Error (Part 3)
The common currency did not create convergence, but widened the gap between Northern and Southern Eurozone member states.
May 29, 2012
Austrian Banks Record Profits Due to Special Items
This year, Austrian banks achieved earnings of € 1.0bn. This does not relate to operating business, but with special items.
May 26, 2012
Substantial Losses at Volksbanken
The main shareholders of Austrian VBAG had to write down € 333m last year.
May 26, 2012
Oberbank: Substantial Rise in Earnings
The regional banks Oberbank and BTV achieved a rise in profit in the first quarter of 2012. BKS recorded stable results.
May 25, 2012
Greece and Eurobonds Divide Austria
The Greek exit and the introduction of Eurobonds are discussed heatedly. In Austria, there is no clear tendency.
May 25, 2012
OeNB’s Operating Profit Decreased
Profit of the Austrian Central Bank came to € 249m in 2011. Risk Provisions Increased by € 400m.
May 24, 2012
Raiffeisen Bank International Doubled Net Income
In the first quarter of 2012, RBI´s net interest income was stable at € 875m (down 1.0% y-o-y), the operating income decreased slightly to € 1,295m (down 3.4% y-o-y). RBI´s Core Tier 1 ratio was up to 10.2%.
May 24, 2012
Hypo Group May Need Further State Aid
The directors of the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) did not exclude that the nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria has a substantial capital shortfall.
May 23, 2012
RZB Capital Increase Completed
Raiffeisen Zentralbank´s shareholders subscribe core tier 1capital in the amount of roughly € 852m. The EBA capital requirements is already exceeded as a result.
May 23, 2012
VBAG and Investkredit Announce Repurchase of Hybrid Capital
Austrian Volksbanken-Aktiengesellschaft (VBAG) and Investkredit Bank AG (IK) announce offers to repurchase hybrid capital, like other banks did before.
May 22, 2012
“Three Problems of Europe: Divergence, Indebtedness and Weak Banks”
The new director of the Austrian IHS (Institute of Advanced Studies) Christian Keuschnigg thinks that a Greek exit would have to take place suddenly.
May 21, 2012
Downsizing: Hypo Group Aims to Achieve Proceeds of € 1.5bn
The nationalized Austrian banking group Hypo Group Alpe Adria starts its sales program in SEE countries and wants to achieve proceeds of € 1.5bn
May 21, 2012
Solid Results at RLB Carinthia
According to preliminary results, RLB Carinthia (Raiffeisenlandesbank Kärnten) reached operating profits of € 34.5m in 2011. The insolvent AvW is still a massive risk factor, however.
May 19, 2012
Greek Exit: € 5.0bn Costs for Austria „In the Best Case“
Bank Austria´s chief economist Stefan Bruckbauer warns of exorbitant costs in case of a Greek exit out of the Eurozone. A common solution would be the better alternative.
May 19, 2012
BCR: Treichl Expects Soon Recovery
Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group, anticipates a soon recovery of the Romanian subsidiary Banka Comerciala Romana.
May 19, 2012
Downsizing Program at Hypo Tirol
After the major losses in 2011, the Austrian regional bank is obliged to withdraw from Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
May 19, 2012
Corporate Lending in CEE Remains Stable
According to Bank Austria, financing to the corporate sector is holding up well, but a diverging performance among countries is likely to persist.
May 18, 2012
New Supervisory Board at Erste Group
Friedrich Rödler was appointed as new chairman of the supervisory board of the Austrian bank.
May 16, 2012
„I´m Glad That It Is Over“
Andreas Treichl, CEO of Erste Group had to present the first annual loss to the shareholders since its IPO in 1997.
May 15, 2012
Greek Exit: Costs of € 7.7bn for Austria
Austria could have to bear costs of up to € 7.7bn if Greece leaves the Eurozone. Austrian guarantees amount to € 3.1bn.
May 14, 2012
Raiffeisen Plans Capital Increase
The Austrian regional bank RLB Lower Austria – Vienna increases its capital base by € 500m, the chairman Erwin Hameseder says.
May 14, 2012
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