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Downsizing
Michelin to Downsize in Hungary
French tyre producer Michelin announced to shut down ist tyre plant in Budapest and relocate to Romania.
May 9, 2014
Austria DIY Chain BauMax Avoided Insolvency
Austrian leading DIY chain bauMax announced cost saving programs as part of its restructuring measures in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia. BauMax intends to focus on profitable business locations only.
May 9, 2014
Verbund: Trying to Get Rid of Sorgenia
The Austrian utility Verbund announced not being willing to invest any further money into loss-making Italian energy group Sorgenia.
May 8, 2014
Hypo Group to Shut Down Subsidiaries in Italy
Until the end of this year five subsidiaries in Italy will be closed.
May 6, 2014
Hypo Group: Huge Burden for Austrian Budget
The downsizing of problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria is a huge burden for this year’s budget.
April 29, 2014
Austria: Difficult Market Situation for Selling Bawag
The selling of Bawag PSK proves difficult for its owner which is why an IPO is considered a realistic phasing-out scenario. However, experts doubt that an IPO will be a “highflyer”.
April 24, 2014
Hypo Group: Italian Branch Turns Out a Huge Problem
According to CEO Picker there were more “skeletons in the closet than expected” which led to huge losses for the ailing bank. The Italian network may have to be downsized.
April 17, 2014
Hypo Group: Heavy Burden for Austrian Fiscal Position
The Austrian National Bank, however, expects the structural medium-term budgetary objectives to be achievable.
April 7, 2014
RBI to Shut Down Affiliates on Crimea
The Ukrainian affiliate of Raffeisen Bank International (RBI) is closing all its affiliate on Crimea until mid-April.
April 7, 2014
Austria: Carinthia Reluctant to Pay for Hypo Group
The Austrian province of Carinthia rejects contributing to the downsizing costs of nationalized Hypo Group. Finance Minister Spindelegger insists on € 500m and threatens with sanctions.
April 4, 2014
VBAG: No State Aids in 2014
The restructuring of VBAG Group is supposed to be completed until 2017, as announced by the banking group. From currently 48 regional bank shops in Austria nine regional banks are supposed to remain.
April 3, 2014
Austria: Spindelegger Expects Significant Increase of Deficit
According to the Finance Minister, the consequences of the Hypo-disaster are “dramatic”. However, he does not see a danger of deflation.
April 1, 2014
Austria: VBAG Downgraded to Junk Status
Moody´s has lowered VBAG´s rating. According to the rating agency, the partly nationalized Austrian bank has no investment grade anymore.
March 29, 2014
Austria: Economic Growth Slowly Getting in Gear
Wifo (Austrian Institute of Economic Research) projects economic growth in Austria to revive again only at the end of this year.
March 27, 2014
Hypo Group: Spindelegger Still Rejects Investigation Committee
Today the opposition will call for a joint request for a parliamentary investigation committee with regard to ailing bank Hypo Group.
March 25, 2014
Hypo Group: New Supervisory Board President
Herbert Walter becomes head of the nationalized Austrian Balkan lender Hypo Group Alpe Adria. According to Austrian Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger, Hypo Group needs even more capital injections.
March 24, 2014
Hypo Group: € 1.43bn Required This Year
A total capital need of € 1.43bn is forecast by the ailing bank.
March 21, 2014
Hypo Group: More than One Billion Required?
As reported by Austrian radio station Ö1, part of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation ORF, ailing Hypo Group Alpe Adria will require € 1.1bn this year from the state.
March 21, 2014
Austria: Still No Disclosure about Hypo’s Capital Gap
Detailed figures about how much the Austrian state will have to inject for the balance sheet total of 2013 will be published on Friday at the earliest.
March 21, 2014
Hypo Group Expected to Publish Figures This Week
On Thursday the Austrian taxpayers are supposed to officially get to know the financial requirements for nationalized problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
March 19, 2014
BayernLB: “We Were Brazenly Betrayed by Austria"
CEO of BayernLB Gerd Häusler claims the German bank and former parent company of nationalized Hypo Group Alpe Adria accuses Austria of having taken the law into its own hands.
March 18, 2014
Hypo Group: Government Explains Downsizing Solution
On Tuesday the Austrian government will explain the decided downsizing solution for the ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria. Carinthia only wants to pay € 300m in downsizing costs.
March 18, 2014
Austria: Spindelegger Demands Valid Figures by Hypo Group
Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger demands valid figures from Hypo Group Alpe Adria before any further capital injections will be made by the Austrian state.
March 15, 2014
Austria: IV Welcomes Government‘s Decision on Hypo
According to Kapsch, president of IV, Hypo Group’s insolvency would have meant uncertainty and damages to the reputation of the business location Austria.
March 14, 2014
Austria: Who Will Pay for Hypo Group?
In the dispute around who is to pay for problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria Chancellor Werner Faymann intends to negotiate with the Austrian provinces about a contribution to the bank levy.
March 13, 2014
Hypo Group: Insolvency Still an Option?
The group of international advisors appointed by the Austrian government seems to have come to a different conclusion than the task force of Hypo Group Alpe Adria.
March 12, 2014
Hypo Group: Losses Expected to Run into Billions
Hypo Group Alpe Adria is expected to reveal losses of around € 2bn in the balance sheet for the business year 2013. Up to now, losses in the amount of € 1.3bn were expected.
March 12, 2014
Faymann: Provinces to Participate in Hypo’s Downsizing Costs
Chancellor Werner Faymann announced that the provinces will have to make a financial contribution to the downsizing costs of Hypo Group. He is in favor of using the provincial share of the bank levy.
March 11, 2014
Austria: Hypo Group Disaster with Exorbitant Costs
The extent of the disaster of Austrian problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria only starts to unfold bit by bit. A further capital injection of € 750m is needed only for the ailing bank to complete its balance sheets.
March 11, 2014
Austria: Computer Trader DiTech Declares Insolvency
Viennese hardware computer trader DiTech has slipped into insolvency.
March 10, 2014
Hypo Group: Further State Aid Necessary This Year
Finance Minister Spindelegger fears that nationalized problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria will require further state aids for its downsizing still within this year.
March 10, 2014
Austria: Spindelegger Still Does Not Exclude Hypo’s Bankruptcy
In an interview with daily “Österreich” Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger announced his intention of very carefull examining the task force’s final report about ailing bank Hypo Group.
March 8, 2014
Austria: State Aids for Banks Almost Exhausted
The financial framework for the banking aid for Hypo Group Alpe Adria is almost exhausted. So far the federal state of Austria has spent up to € 6.2bn.
March 8, 2014
Austria: Hypo Group’s Final Report Eagerly Awaited
The eagerly awaited final report of Hypo Group’s task force is supposed to be presented to the government this weekend.
March 8, 2014
Austria: “Taxpayers Have to Bleed for Hypo Group“
Franz Schellhorn, head of think tank Agenda Austria, told “Handelsblatt” in an interview that having delayed the issue of Hypo Group was a fatal mistake by the Austrian government. He points out the consequences of the disaster.
March 7, 2014
Slovenia: Commissioner Calls for Reforms and Further Privatizations
EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn said that Slovenia had to continue to push forward with further privatizations and economic reforms.
March 6, 2014
Slovenia: NLB to Break Even in 2014
As part of the restructuring plan, the Slovenian bank is closing branch shops all over the country and downsizing its personnel.
March 4, 2014
Hypo Group: Risk Identified Already in 2009
Three months after a report on the risk and susceptibility to fraud of Hypo Group’s leasing affiliates was published by PwC, ailing Hypo Group was nationalized.
March 3, 2014
Hypo Group: Five Potential Buyers for CESEE Affiliates
Alexander Picker, CEO of the nationalized bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria, is optimistic that the affiliates in the Western Balkan countries may be sold until the end of 2014.
March 1, 2014
Moody´s Confirms Austria´s Rating Despite Hypo Group Disaster
The rating agency has reiterated Austria´s top sovereign debt rating. Moreover, the outlook was upgraded from “negative” to “stable”.
March 1, 2014
Hypo Group: Decision about Future Delayed
The decision about the future of Austrian problem bank Hypo will be delayed.
February 28, 2014
Hypo Group: “Worst Thing If Government Does Not Make Decision”
According to Felderer, President of the Fiscal Council, a downgrade in the country rating must not be taken “too seriously”.
February 28, 2014
Hypo Group Insolvency to Cost € 10bn at Least
Taxpayers in Austria would be burdened with at least € 10bn if Hypo Group was sent into insolvency.
February 26, 2014
Austria: Hypo Group Council to Strain Budget Even More
The Finance Ministry will appoint an international consulting team for the downsizing of nationalized problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria. However, costs are increasing dramatically by this step.
February 25, 2014
Hypo Group: Nowotny Calls for Fast Proceeding
Newly designated head of Hypo Group’s task force, Governor of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB) Ewald Nowotny, calls upon the government to fastly proceed with the downsizing of the ailing bank.
February 24, 2014
Austria: Spindelegger under Attack
Finance Minister Spindelegger is under attack by former head of Hypo Group’s task force, Liebscher.
February 24, 2014
Hypo Group: Nowotny to Replace Liebscher
After Liebscher, head of Hypo Group’s task force, announced throwing in the towel Nowotny, Governor of the Austrian National Bank (OeNB), will become his successor.
February 22, 2014
Felderer: Insolvency More Expensive Than Bad Bank
According to Felderer, president of the fiscal council, the option of insolvency for Hypo Group Alpe Adria is more expensive than the establishing of a national bad bank
February 22, 2014
Austria: Investment Banker Part of Hypo’s Expert Group
A former investment banker is supposed to support Austrian government in the Hypo Group issue.
February 21, 2014
Spindelegger: Taxpayers Should Not Carry Whole Load
Finance Minister Spindelegger declared himself in favor of a haircut of creditors of problem bank Hypo Group.
February 20, 2014