S & P

Moody’s Downgrades Long-Term Credit Rating of Austria

Moody’s has downgraded the long-term credit rating of Austria, from "Aaa” to Aa1. In January 2012 rating agency Standard & Poors had reduced Austria’s rating from AAA to AA+, whereas in February 2015, Fitch did the same.

June 27, 2016

S&P Global Ratings (S&P) revised outlook of HYPO Oberösterreich

S&P revised the outlook of HYPO Oberösterreich from stable to positive. At the same time the A long- and the A-1 short-term ratings were affirmed. The positive outlook reflects the expected continuing improvement of the capital ratios through retained earnings as well as the status as government-related entity (GRE) and the link to the State of Upper Austria.

June 16, 2016

S&T: strong growth in Poland and Romania

S&T AG's subsidiary in Romania has secured orders worth more than EUR 8 million for services, software and IT technologies facilitating the modernization and extension of Romania's systems of rescue direction centers and of emergency calls. All of the commissioned sub-projects are to be concluded during the current financial year. Impeded by strong results in Poland and Romania, S&T's business in Eastern Europe has been developing promisingly.

July 29, 2015

S&P Upgrades Strabag's Rating from BBB- to BBB

Rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has raised the credit rating of publicly listed construction group Strabag SE by one level from BBB- to BBB. The outlook remains at “stable”.

June 23, 2015

S&P Upgrades Polish Banking Sector

Rating agency Standard & Poor’s has upgraded the Polish banking sector from “negative” to “stable”.

April 16, 2014

Austria: S&P Confirms Rating

US rating agency Standard & Poor’s has confirmed the Austrian rating at “AA+” with a stable outlook.

March 28, 2014

S&P: Hypo Group Bankruptcy Would Trigger Downgrade in Austrian Banking Sector

In case of a bankruptcy of the nationalized bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria, the three largest Austrian banks Erste Group, Bank Austria and Raiffeisen Zentralbank might be downgraded by one or two notches.

March 8, 2014

S&P: European Banking Sector Faces Worse Ratings

According to the rating agency, the public support for the European banking sector is essential in many cases. Without financial support, banks might be downgraded.

March 5, 2014

Poland: Banks Expected to Preserve Ratings

According to US rating agency Standard&Poor;’s, Polish banks will be able to keep their credit ratings this year.

March 4, 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

Austria: Rating Endangered

US-based rating agency Fitch will update its country rating for Austria tomorrow. Finance Minister Spindelegger is in favor of a haircut for investors of Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

February 20, 2014

Fitch Keeps Polish Sovereign Rating Unchanged

The U.S. rating agency has reassessed Poland´s sovereign debt rating.

February 15, 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

Standard & Poor´s Underlines Poland´s Economic Robustness

The U.S. rating agency S&P keeps Poland´s sovereign debt rating unchanged. The outlook remains stable.

February 7, 2014

S&P to Establish CEE Center in Poland

Warsaw will be the new CEE focal point of Standard&Poor;’s (S&P) as the US rating agency announced establishing an office in Warsaw.

January 29, 2014

S&P Keeps an Eye on Slovenian Banking Sector

The rating agency highlights the critical conditions of the Slovenian banking industry.

January 25, 2014

Croatia: S&P Downgrades Rating

Standard&Poors; has downgraded Croatia’s rating to “BB”. The outloock on the long-term rating for the country is at least “stable”.

January 24, 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

S&P: Polish Banks to Remain “Strongly Profitable”

In 2014’s outlook on Polish banks rating agency Standard&Poor; announced that Polish banks are expected to benefit from an ongoing economic recovery and remain “strongly profitable”.

January 15, 2014

Austrian Public Debt Reaches New High

The total size of public debt was never before so high. In the next years, the public debt ratio will come close to 80% of GDP.

December 30, 2013

Austria: New Government Already Disappoints in the First Week

In 2014, Austria will not achieve its fiscal objectives, new Minister of Finance Michael Spindelegger admitted. Austria´s fiscal situation is observed critically. The country faces a new austerity package.

December 23, 2013

Rothensteiner: Austrian Sovereign Debt Rating Includes Bank Bail-Out

Unlike the rating agency Moody´s, head of RZB (Raiffeisen Zentralbank) Walter Rothensteiner thinks that the Austrian sovereign debt rating is not endangered by the nationalized banking sector.

December 20, 2013

Austria: S&P Keeps Rating Unchanged

The U.S. rating agency confirms the “AA+” rating for Austrian sovereign bonds. An upgrade is unlikely in the next years.

December 19, 2013

Bulgaria: S&P Downgrade Criticized Sharply

Bulgarian Minister of Economy Dragomir Stynev does not agree with S&P´s view on Bulgaria´s creditworthiness.

December 16, 2013

CESEE: Austrian Banks Face New Challenges

For Austrian banks, the assessment by the ECB may bring new difficulties. Non-performing loans in CESEE are said to be higher than officially known.

November 26, 2013

Romania Faces Upgrade

Next year, Romanian sovereign bonds may be upgraded by Standard & Poor´s.

November 23, 2013

Crucial Days for Slovenia´s Government

Slovenia´s government has presented the 2014 budget to the Parliament. Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek has linked the approval to a vote of confidence. However, the budget approval is not the biggest risk factor for the ailing country.

November 13, 2013

Austria: New Austerity Package to Come?

Austrian economists expect that the new government will draft another austerity package. Otherwise the fiscal objectives will not be achieved.

November 6, 2013

CESEE Region: Booming Exports Prevent Recession

The underlying reason for the improving economic sentiment in the CESEE region is the expanding industrial sector. However, the region remains vulnerable to foreign trade and foreign investments.

November 5, 2013

“Property Tax Cannot Finance Wage Tax Cut”

Bernhard Felderer, head of the Austrian public debt committee, stresses that the Austrian government must reduce the public debt level as soon as possible.

October 31, 2013

Hungary: Junk Rating Remains

S&P has reiterated Hungary´s sovereign debt rating. Further cuts are not unlikely.

October 28, 2013

Slovenia: Bailout Comes Closer

The ailing country is not expected to manage the financial crisis on its own. Calling for support from Brussels seems to be the last remaining alternative.

October 28, 2013

S&P Warns of Further Downgrade

The rating agency has kept the “AA+” rating. However, Austria has to put more effort into austerity measures, the rating agency stresses.

October 26, 2013

Austria to Remain at AA+

Austria has not yet been given back Standard & Poor’s Triple A.

October 25, 2013

New Economic Strategy for SEE

On Tuesday, economic experts held a meeting in the Albanian capital Tirana to examine a draft strategy for development and employment in the SEE region until the year 2020.

October 2, 2013

Croatia Tries to Avoid Bail-Out by IMF

The 28th EU member country has severe fiscal problems. In order to avoid the IMF, Croatia borrows about $ 1.5bn on the U.S. market.

October 2, 2013

Austrian Banking Sector Proves Stable

The U.S. rating agency Fitch confirms the A-rating for Erste Group, RBI (Raiffeisen Bank International), Bank Austria and VBAG.

September 18, 2013

CESEE Banking: Funding Improves

Regarding the stability of the banking system in the CESEE region, there are still substantial differences between the countries.

September 18, 2013

Treichl: Requirements for Banks Increased Massively

According to the CEO of Erste Group, the requirements for banks have increased by three to six times. Moreover it has become harder for banks to finance small and medium sized enterprises (SME).

September 17, 2013

Austrian Banking Sector: Profitability Below Potential

Not only the high NPL quota in the CESEE region, but also the overcapacity in Austria is a burden for the domestic banking industry.

September 14, 2013

No Asset Bubble in Austria

Despite the growing property prices in the last years, Austria does not face a real estate bubble.

September 14, 2013

S&P: Croatia Downgraded Again

The rating agency puts the outlook on Croatia from „stable“ to „negative“. The rating remains unchanged.

August 2, 2013

Does RBI Need a Partner?

The Austrian “Wiener Zeitung” reports that RBI (Raiffeisenbank International), the second-biggest lender in the CESEE region, has a capital requirement of more than € 5.0bn.

July 17, 2013

„Austrian Banking Sector Still Weakly Capitalized“

Austrian National Bank (OeNB) criticizes that the domestic banking sector did not improve the equity base sufficiently.

July 16, 2013

Moody´s Cuts Bank Austria´s Rating

According to the U.S. rating agency, the creditworthiness of the biggest Austrian bank has worsened. The expansion program in Russia and Turkey is seen as significant risk factor.