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OVAG to Merge With Another Bank?

A merger or collaboration of some sort with another bank may be in sight for Austrian bank group Osterreichische Volksbank AG (ÖVAG), Standard daily reports in its Tuesday issue. US investment bank Lazard is on lookout for offers.

September 9, 2014

VBAG Sold Private Equity Portfolio

Österreichische Volksbanken AG (VBAG) makes progress with the implementation of its restructuring program by selling a EUR 110 million portfolio of private equity fund investments and direct investments in German speaking countries and Eastern Europe.

July 31, 2014

Volksbank Romania Sells EUR 495 Million NPL Real Estate Portfolio

Volksbank Romania has reduced its non-performing loans portfolio (NPLs) through the sale of a NPL real estate portfolio with an aggregate volume of € 495 million. The Bank has sold the large-volume real estate financing commitments to an international investors consortium composed of Deutsche Bank, AnaCap Financial Partners LLP, H.I.G Capital International Advisers and APS Holding SE. With this transaction, Volksbank Romania has reduced its NPL portfolio to a NPL ratio of below 8%, below the average in Romania's banking system.

July 28, 2014

Billionaire Sheikh Al Jaber Sues Immoconsult and the Schwarzenberg Foundation

Due to a failed hotel project in Vienna real estate affiliate of Volksbank, Immoconsult, is facing a lawsuit by the Austrian/Saudi Arabian investor Mohamed Al Jaber.

May 21, 2014 · Updated: May 21, 2014; 18:51

Austrian Public Debt Almost at 80% of GDP

The Austrian public debt burden will reach a new all-time high at the end of the current year. The challenging fiscal situation is partly attributable to the capital injections into Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

April 24, 2014

Austria: VBAG Sells Malta Affiliate

Partly nationalized VBAG (Österreichische Volksbanken AG) has sold its banking affiliate VB Malta to Maltese Mediterranean Bank (MedBank).

April 11, 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: 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: 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

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

Austria: Delay in RBI Paying Back State Capital

Austrian Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) will take longer than planned to pay back state capital.

March 15, 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

VBAG to be completely Nationalized?

According to experts, VBAG is the only Austrian bank which will not pass the stress test. In this case, there are only two alternatives: liquidation or full nationalization.

March 6, 2014

VBAG to Sell Romanian Subsidiary

The Austrian partly nationalized VBAG has started the sale of the loss-making Romanian affiliate.

March 5, 2014

Hypo Disaster: Who Are the Beneficiaries?

International investment companies, funds and domestic banks are the major recipients of the billions of Euros in the Hypo Group disaster.

February 19, 2014

Bawag to Be Sold?

According to rumours, the fifth largest Austrian lender may be sold.

January 31, 2014

Austria: Sberbank Affected By Further Costs

Sberbank is faced with further aids for Austrian Volksbank International (VBI). So far the Russian bank has pumped a total of € 1.3bn into Sberbank Europe.

January 27, 2014

CA Immo to Repurchase Liabilities

Listed real estate company CA Immobilien Anlagen AG announced to repurchase its own liabilities of around € 428m in nominal terms.

January 22, 2014

Austrian State Sues Six Banks

The Republic of Austria filed lawsuits against six lending banks of bankrupt construction enterprise Alpine.

January 17, 2014

Austria: Expert Paper for Hypo Group’s Bad Bank

An expert paper about possible downsizing options for state-controlled problem bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria is expected to be handed in to the government until the middle of the week.

January 13, 2014

Austria: VBAG Not to Receive Further Aids

Ailing banking institute VBAG of the Austrian Volksbanken Group will not be granted further state aids.

January 13, 2014

Austria: Significant Increase in Bank Levy

In 2014, the bank levy is expected to increase substantially. Austrian banks regard the levy as massive competitive disadvantage.

January 10, 2014

VBAG: Complete Write-Off Possible

The Austrian state may has to write down its interest completely. Further capital injections are very likely. Also VBAG´s other shareholders will be obliged to provide fresh funds for the ailing bank.

January 4, 2014

VBAG: Further State Aids Questionable

The governing Austrian social democrats (SPÖ) are against providing further funds to the partly nationalized banking group.

December 26, 2013

„No Debt-Backed Tax Reform“

Austrian Finance Minister Michael Spindelegger underlines that Austria has to put more effort into fiscal consolidation measures.

December 23, 2013

Austria: Bank Rescue Massive Burden for Public Finance

In total, costs of the Austrian banking package come at € 6.75bn. Expenses are only partially covered by revenues.

December 21, 2013

VBAG: Call for Further State Aids Likely

The Austrian VBAG (Volksbanken AG), top institute of the Volksbanken sector, still has a substantial capital shortfall.

December 21, 2013

Austria: Rules for Bank Tax to Be Changed

The governing parties call for changes in the bank tax which would increase the burden of some Austrian banks.

December 20, 2013

Austria: VBAG May Require Further State Aid

Partially nationalized VBAG is expected to post losses of more than € 200m.

December 20, 2013

Austrian Banking Industry Has to Fear Bank Tax Increase

At the end of this week, the Austrian social democrats and the conservatives agreed on continuing their coalition. Although the fiscal strategy is not fully known yet, a bank tax increase is likely.

December 14, 2013

EU Demands € 55bn for Banking Union

The Finance Ministers of the European Union are still negotiating about a mechanism aimed at preventing states from having to take over financial difficulties from banks, the banking union.

December 9, 2013

Austrian Banking Sector: € 35bn NPL

Due to the gloomy economic situation in CESEE and the stagnating domestic economy, Austrian banks suffer from growing non-performing loans.

December 9, 2013

Sberbank: Lawsuit Against VBAG

The largest Russian banking group has filed a lawsuit against Austrian VBAG at the International Court of Arbitration.

November 29, 2013

VBAG: No Interest Payments on Participation Capital Until 2016

The partly nationalized Austrian bank group VBAG faces further losses. As a result, VBAG will have to perform interest payments not before 2017.

November 28, 2013

VBAG expects negative results at single-entity level until at least

November 28, 2013

Sberbank Strives for Organic Growth in CESEE

In 2012, the largest Russian bank took over VBAG´s sub-holding for the CESEE region. As Sberbank still has to invest a lot in the former subsidiary of Austrian VBAG, CEO German Gref is not perfectly satisfied with the acquisition.

November 27, 2013

Austria:Kommunalkredit Managers Accused of Breach of Trust

Four former managers of nationalized Kommunalkredit (KA) are accused of breach of trust and violating the Stock Corporation Act by the Public Prosecutor's Office against Economy and Corruption (WKStA) at the Regional Court in Vienna.

November 22, 2013

„Not Enough Bank Insolvencies“

Andrea Enria, head of the European Banking Authority (EBA), claims that the banking landscape did not change sufficiently.

November 18, 2013

VBAG: Capital Requirement up to € 1.0bn

The partially nationalized Austrian bank needs further capital injections next year.

November 16, 2013

Austria: Bad Bank For Hypo As Good As Guaranteed.

Chancellor Faymann and Deputy Chancellor Spindelegger are in favor of creating a bad bank for Hypo Group.

November 14, 2013

Austria: Downsizing Options for Hypo Group under Discussion

In the discussion about establishing a downsizing unit for ailing bank Hypo Group Alpe Adria, several possibilities are taken into account.

November 12, 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

Number of Banks Shrinks Substantially

Since 2008, about 10% of the banks had to be closed in the Eurozone. In the last five years, 16,200 bank shops were shut down. In Austria, the situation is almost the same.

November 5, 2013

Austrian Banking Sector: NPL at Eurozone´s Top

In the Eurozone, the non-performing loans are still growing. In total, 7.8% of the loan portfolio is risky. Austrian banks are significantly above the average.

October 30, 2013

Stress Tests: Austrian Banks Demonstrate Optimism

Austrian banks are expected to pass the stress tests. However, the next years are expected to become challenging for the Austrian banking sector.

October 23, 2013

Austrian Banks Expected to Pass Auditing

According to the financial supervisors, the Austrian banks are likely to pass the ECB’s (European Central Bank) auditing since there are no significant adjustment requirements.