NPL Non Performing Loans

Sevelda: “Russia Still Crucial Market”
In the light of the close ties with regard to economic and energy relations with Russia Karl Sevelda, CEO of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) warns about the tightening of penalties against Russia.
May 23, 2014

Fitch Upgrades Rating for Slovenia
Fitch Ratings has revised the Outlook on Slovenia's Long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDR) to Stable from Negative and affirmed the IDRs at 'BBB+'.
May 2, 2014

Slovenia: List of Debtors of NLB Published
The Slovenian bad bank BAMC (Bank Asset Management Company) has published the list of debtors of the country’s two largest banks, which are responsible for the disaster of the state-controlled banks.
April 23, 2014

UniCredit: Common Bad Bank with Intesa Sanpaolo?
The parent company of Bank Austria may create a common bad bank with its Italian competitor Intesa Sanpaolo. The bad bank may be sold later on.
April 22, 2014

Hypo Group: Privatization of Balkan Business Until 2015
The nationalized problem bank intends to sell its Balkan business within 2014.
April 17, 2014

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: Massive Losses in Italy
Last year, the distressed Austrian lender recorded losses in the amount of € 2.7bn. In Italy, losses were highest.
April 11, 2014

Slovenia: Banka Celje Trying to Fend Off Bailout
The Slovenian lender is considering a capital increase to avoid national bailout.
April 11, 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

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

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

VBAG: Romanian Affiliate Sells Bad Loan Portfolio
The ailing affiliate of Austrian partly nationalized VBAG will sell its non-performing loans on a large scale.
March 18, 2014

Slovenia: Banking Sector Still Prone to Risks
The Slovenian banking sector is still prone to risks as the number of non-performing loans was not reduced substantially.
March 14, 2014

CEE: Investments to Boost Economic Growth
In the coming two years economic growth in Eastern Europe is expected to accelerate to an average of two to three percent of GDP triggered by a boost in investments.
March 13, 2014

Austria: Bawag to Pay Back State Capital
Bawag is expected to pay back the entire public participation captial tomorrow. The assets are urgently required for recapitalizing Austrian problem bank Hypo Group.
March 13, 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

Hungary: OTP Bank’s Profits Vanished by Provisions and Taxes
A decrease on the operating profit, increasing risk provisions and taxes drained almost all profits made in the fourth quarter last year.
March 7, 2014

Serbia: Share of NPL Increases Dramatically
The share of bad loans in Serbia has increased to 21.3 percent.
March 6, 2014

Austrian Banks with Significant Exposure in Ukraine
Ukrainian crisis hits Western Banks in different state compared to 2008/09, according to RBI.
February 27, 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

Hungary: Customers Fleeced by Banks
For the first time in three years Hungarian commercial banks have returned to profitability. However, extra cost, caused by political circumstances, was passed on to clients.
February 26, 2014

Slovenia: NLB Reports Losses in Business Year 2013
The biggest lender in Slovenia has amounted considerable losses because of having been forced to create loan loss provisions.
February 22, 2014

Serbian Governor: Banking Sector Stable
According to Tabakovic, governor of NBS, the Serbian banking sector was solvent and well-capitalized.
February 20, 2014

Liebscher: Government Is to Blame
Head of Hypo Group’s Task Force Klaus Liebscher rejects being turned into the scapegoat of delaying important decisions about the downsizing of the problem bank. Instead, he points his finger to the Austrian government.
February 20, 2014

EU Commission to Examine Slovenian Bank Restructuring Plan
Slovenia has sent the restructuring plan for its third largest bank, Abanka Vipa, to the EU Commission.
February 20, 2014

Picker: Hypo to Cost Taxpayers “Only” up to € 4bn
According to CEO of Hypo Group Alpe Adria Picker, the ailing bank will burden taxpayers with “only“ € 4bn at the most. Head of IHS, Keuschnigg, warns the Austrian policy-makers of forwarding costs to bondholders.
February 19, 2014

Slovenia: Heading for Recovery
Slovenia seems to have circumnavigated the crisis as the small country is not a Eurozone bail-out candidate anymore, according to Prime Minister Bratusek.
February 17, 2014

Government Downplaying Effects of Hypo Group Desaster
Today, both Chancellor Werner Faymann and Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger had to explain their actions in regard to Hypo Group Alpe Adria in parliament.
February 17, 2014

„We Were Cheated by BayernLB“
Hannes Androsch, head of the Hypo Group task force, thinks that the former Austrian government has made serious mistakes.
February 13, 2014

IHS Rejects Hypo Group’s Bankruptcy
According to Keuschnig, it is also a question about a “national bankruptcy“.
February 13, 2014

Improving Situation in Slovenia
Banka Slovenije points out that the finance industry was negatively affected by provisions and write-offs. However, the situation seems to be improving.
February 13, 2014

Challenging Business Environment for Croatian Banks
Last year profits of Croatian banks declined more than 73 percent.
February 12, 2014

Hypo Group: Bad Bank Active at Least 10 Years
Austria’s rating by Standard & Poor’s (“AA+”, stable outlook) is currently not compromised. Because of the establishing of the bad bank the debt rate will rise four to six percent.
February 12, 2014

Erste Group: Net Results Below Expectations
Erste Group provides business update for 2013: Improvement in risk costs is outweighed by one-off items and tax effects, impacting net profit
February 11, 2014

Hypo Group Alpe Adria: The War of Nerves Has Begun
The Austrian government puts enormous pressure on the Austrian banking sector and does not exclude Hypo Group´s orderly bankruptcy anymore. The Austrian banking sector insistently warns of this option.
February 9, 2014 · Updated: February 9, 2014; 23:41

Sale of Bad Assets: UniCredit Under Pressure
The parent company of Bank Austria, the Italian lender UniCredit, wants to sell its risky assets as soon as possible. Insiders report that UniCredit wants to sell its “bad bank”.
February 8, 2014 · Updated: February 8, 2014; 14:12

“Fragile Recovery in CEE Banking Sector”
According to the U.S. rating agency Fitch, the banking sector in Central and Eastern Europe is highly heterogeneous.
February 6, 2014

Poland: Sixteen Banks to be Examined by EBA
In total, sixteen Polish banks will participate in the stress tests carried out by the European Banking Authority.
February 4, 2014

„We Must Watch CESEE Very Carefully“
In an interview with the Austrian daily „Standard“, board member of Österreichische Kontrollbank AG Angelika Sommer-Hemetsberger said that the economic crisis in CESEE is not over yet.
February 3, 2014

Suspicious Secrecy in the Cause of Hypo Group Alpe Adria
In the matter of Hypo Group Alpe Adria, the Austrian government acts disconcertingly. Details on the situation of the nationalized banks are still kept as a secret.
February 1, 2014

Upgrades for Slovenian Banks
The long-term ratings of three banks were upgraded by Moody’s.
January 31, 2014

Another Emergency at Hypo Group Alpe Adria
The series of bad news does not come to an end. After enormous capital injections in 2013, the nationalized Austrian lender again needs help from the Austrian state.
January 24, 2014

Slovenia: NLB Facing Downsizing Measures
Slovenian NLB is facing severe downsizing measures. As part of the restructuring process, the country’s biggest bank has to lay off personnel.
January 24, 2014

Slovenia: Bank Losses Tripled in 2013
Over the last year losses in the banking sector tripled to almost € 1.1bn.
January 23, 2014

CESEE: Recovery Remains Modest
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has published a report on the regional economic prospects. The economic recovery in CESEE remains fragile.
January 23, 2014

Slovenian Economy to Shrink “Only” 2 Percent
According to the ERBD’s (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) revision, Slovenia’s economy will shrink “only” 2 percent up from a 2.5 contraction of GDP which was forecast in November.
January 22, 2014

S&P Optimistic About Slovenia
The U.S. rating agency reiterated the Slovenian sovereign debt rating at A-. The outlook remains “stable”. S&P´s analysts consider Slovenia´s crisis management as adequate.
January 17, 2014

$ 1.0trn Capital Shortfall in European Banking Sector?
According to U.S. economists, the stress tests carried out by the European Central Bank are too soft.
January 16, 2014

Bulgaria: Loan Portfolios Expected to Increase
The increase in industrial production will have a positive effect on the number of loans taken out.
January 16, 2014

Hypo Group: No Alternative to Bad Bank
The time pressure on the Austrian government is growing day by day. The nationalized Austrian problem bank urgently needs a bad bank.
January 14, 2014