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☆ Banks are being rocked again as real estate losses mount
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The regional lender set aside $552 million in the fourth quarter to absorb loan losses, up from $62 million in the previous quarter. The increase was driven partly by expected losses on a loan used to finance an office building, it said. ET as shares in NYCB, as well as other regional banks, suffered sharp losses. Much bigger players are girding themselves for losses linked to commercial real estate. Europe’s benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Banks index, which tracks 42 big EU and UK banks, is up 23% since a low in late March.

Persons: Thomas Cangemi, Brendan McDermid, Julius Baer, Philipp Rickenbacher, Arnd Wiegmann, Reuters Philip Lawlor, ”, “, ” Lawlor, CNN’s Matt Egan Organizations: London CNN, Credit Suisse, New York Community Bancorp, New York Stock Exchange, Japan’s Aozora Bank, Federal Reserve, ”, CNN, Signa Group, Chrysler, Reuters, Deutsche Bank, Bank, Suisse —, UBS, Wilshire Indexes, KBW Locations: Europe, New York, Tokyo, Zurich, California, Republic, NYCB, Banc, Swiss, Austrian, Switzerland

GENEVA (AP) — Julius Baer says its CEO is resigning and the Swiss bank is quitting the private debt business as well as setting aside more than a half-billion Swiss francs (dollars) reportedly over its exposure to bankrupt Austrian asset manager Signa. Zurich-based Julius Baer said it was exiting the private debt business and the annual results reflected net credit losses of 606 million Swiss francs (about $702 million) — 586 million francs of which included a loan-loss allowance for unspecified private debt exposure. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesShares of Julius Baer were up nearly 6% to 50.02 Swiss francs in midmorning trading Thursday on the SIX Swiss Exchange following the news. Media reports said the bank's troubles were linked to Signa, but Julius Baer didn't specify. The bank announced the exposure to private debt issues in November, comprised of three loans to different entities at a “European conglomerate” active in commercial real estate and luxury retail.

Persons: — Julius Baer, Romeo Lacher, Julius Baer, Philipp Rickenbacher, Nic Dreckmann, Julius Baer didn't Organizations: GENEVA, Signa, SIX Swiss Exchange, Media, Credit Suisse, UBS Locations: Swiss, Austrian, Zurich, Vienna

☆ Top wealth manager Julius Baer caught in property write-off storm as CEO steps down
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A pedestrian sheltering under an umbrella passes a Julius Baer Group Ltd. branch in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Group Chair Romeo Lacher said he and the board "deeply regret" net credit losses of 606 million Swiss francs ($701 million), well above consensus expectations, which include a loan loss allowance of 586 million francs. Julius Baer in November announced its exposure to the struggling Austrian company, which has been hit by the higher interest rate environment. It further said Thursday it would exit its private debt businesses, winding down its remaining private debt book of 800 million million Swiss francs, 2% of its total loan book. The bank reported net profit attributable to shareholders of 454 million Swiss francs for the full-year 2023, down 52%, with earnings per share of 2.21 francs.

Persons: Julius Baer, Philipp Rickenbacher, Romeo Lacher, Rickenbacher, Nic Dreckmann, Anke Reingen Organizations: Julius Baer Group, Signa, Austrian, CNBC, Swiss, RBC Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss

☆ Benko's complex web at Signa - from Chrysler building to Berlin landmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

SIGNA PRIME/PROPERTY PORTFOLIOAccording to Signa, Prime is the group's largest company in its real estate division, valued at around 20.4 billion euros ($22.23 billion). Since 2019 Signa Holding has also been a co-owner of New York's iconic Chrysler Building. TRADING/RETAIL COMPANIESBenko has bundled his trading interests under the divisions Signa Retail and Signa Premium. In Switzerland, Benko's trading investments are bundled into Signa Retail Selection AG, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday. In 2018, Signa Holding bought around 24% stake in Austrian daily newspapers "Krone" and "Kurier" from Funke media group.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Rene Benko, Ernst Tanner, Hans Peter Haselsteiner, Torsten Toeller, Arthur Eugster, SIGNA, Signa, Otto Wagner, Benko's, Klaus, Michael Kuehne, Kuehne, Hamburg's, Chirathivat, Benko, Frasers, Kaufhof, Karstadt, Galeria, Alexandra Schwarz, Goerlich, Mattias Inverardi, Victoria Farr, Emma, Rachel More, Elisa Martinuzzi, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Chrysler, Bank Austria, Femina, Chrysler Building, . Central Group, Globus, Selfridges, Central Group, Funke, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, New, Britain's Selfridges, Innsbruck, Swiss, Vienna, Hamburg, KaDeWe, Oberpollinger, Munich, Vienna's, Tyrol, Essen, Duesseldorf, London, Switzerland

Yet labour markets are softening, the euro zone faces recession and China's property sector is in crisis. Here's what some closely-watched market indicators say about global recession risks:1/ AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM? Britain's economy avoided the start of a recession in the third quarter but still failed to grow. Economists broadly expect the global economy to slow next year but avoid a recession. If supply shocks resulting from the Israel-Hamas war become severe enough to push Brent crude to $150, a level it has never breached, a "mild and fleeting" global recession could result, Oxford Economics reckons.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Guy Miller, COVID, Zurich Insurance's Miller, Torsten Slok, Austria's, David Katimbo, We've, Brent, Yoruk Bahceli, Dhara Ranasinghe, Naomi Rovnick, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Zurich Insurance, Reuters, Traders, U.S . Federal Reserve, ECB, Apollo Global Management, P, Sweden's SBB, HK, Bank of England, Business insolvencies, EdenTree Investment Management, Oxford Economics reckons, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, China, Zurich, England, Wales, Europe, Israel

☆ What one Swiss bank's troubles can tell us about market vulnerabilities — and social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A pedestrian sheltering under an umbrella passes a Julius Baer Group Ltd. branch in Zurich, Switzerland, on Tuesday, July 13, 2021. The share price of Julius Baer plummeted after the Swiss private bank disclosed 606 million Swiss francs ($692.7 million) of loan exposure to a single conglomerate client. The 606 million Swiss franc exposure to one client — via three loans to different entities within a European conglomerate — is collateralized by commercial real estate and luxury retail, the company revealed. The bank last week booked provisions of 70 million Swiss francs to cover the risk of a single borrower in its private loan book. The European Central Bank recently examined the commercial real estate sector and the provisioning methods and capital buffers of European banks.

Persons: Julius Baer, Signa, Julius Baer's CET1, DBRS Morningstar, Vitaline Yeterian, Elisabeth Rudman, Julius Baer's Organizations: Julius Baer Group, Austrian, DBRS, CNBC, European Central Bank, Swiss Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss

☆ Signa group's SportScheck retailer to file for insolvency - reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

'SportScheck' store is seen closed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Munich, Germany, February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - German sporting goods retailer SportScheck, part of the debt-addled Austrian property empire Signa, will file for insolvency with a court in Munich on Thursday, the DPA news agency and other German media reported. The court was not immediately available for comment and SportScheck was not reachable. Signa declared insolvency on Wednesday after last-ditch attempts to secure fresh funding failed, making it the biggest casualty so far of a property crash in Europe driven by a sharp rise in interest rates and building costs. Reporting by Matthias Inverardi and Rachel More, editing by Kirsti KnolleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Michaela Rehle, SportScheck, Matthias Inverardi, Rachel More, Kirsti Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, Europe

☆ UK's Frasers plans to buy SportScheck assets out of administration
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

'SportScheck' store is seen closed due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Munich, Germany, February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 30 (Reuters) - British sports and fashion group Frasers (FRAS.L) said on Thursday it will seek to buy SportScheck's business and assets out of administration after the German sporting goods retailer filed for insolvency. Signa on Wednesday filed for self-administered reorganisation proceedings, and media reports followed on Thursday that SportScheck would also file for insolvency. Frasers confirmed SportScheck's administration in its statement and said it exercised its rights under its agreement with Signa to withdraw from the deal. However, the London-listed group said it intends to work with SportScheck's appointed administrator to purchase its business and assets.

Persons: Michaela Rehle, Frasers, Signa, SportScheck, SportScheck's, Sri Hari, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, SportScheck, Retail, Sports, Sri, Thomson Locations: Munich, Germany, London, SportScheck, Bengaluru

☆ He Bought a Piece of the Chrysler Building. Now His Empire Is Falling Apart.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Eliot Brown | Margot Patrick | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

René Benko’s company Signa is filing for insolvency, casting uncertainty over a property empire that includes a stake in upscale British retailer Selfridges. Photo: georg hochmuth/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesThe property slump sweeping the globe has claimed a new high-profile victim: René Benko, an Austrian-born retail and department-store magnate who also co-owns New York’s Chrysler Building. Benko’s main holding company, Signa Holding, said Wednesday it is filing for insolvency in Austria. The move, similar to U.S. bankruptcy procedure, puts billions of dollars of company debt at risk and casts uncertainty over a property empire that includes stakes in the largest department store chains in Europe, upscale British retailer Selfridges and a now-stalled Hamburg tower that would have been among the tallest in Germany.

Persons: René, Signa, georg hochmuth Organizations: Selfridges, Agence France, Chrysler, Signa Locations: Austrian, Austria, Europe, Hamburg, Germany

☆ Morning Bid: Waller to Wall St, Fed's on the turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A street sign for Wall Street is seen in the financial district in New York, U.S., November 8, 2021. But back in the markets, the Fed's policy pivot was all the rage as Treasury yields and dollar plunged anew. New York Fed chief John Williams said long-term inflation expectations were anchored, reassuring and "remarkably stable". Fed futures now have the first Fed rate cut of a quarter point fully priced for May and 110bps of rate cuts by year-end. Two-year Treasury yields plunged more than 15 basis points to four-month lows of 4.66% on Wednesday, with 10-year yields hitting their lowest since mid-September - a startling drop of more than 75bps in little over a month.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Mike Dolan, Wall, Charlie Munger, Berkshire Hathaway's Munger, Warren Buffett, Christopher Waller, Jerome Powell, Waller, John Williams, Austan Goolsbee, Michelle Bowman, Powell, Stocks, smartly, Hong, Thomas Barkin, Loretta Mester, Andrew Bailey, BoE, Andrew Hauser, Blinken, Sergey Lavrov, Jane Merriman Organizations: Wall, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Waller . New York Fed, Chicago Fed, HK, Austria's, Holdings, Richmond Fed, Cleveland Fed, Bank of England, London, Russian, Foods, Intuit, Petco, Thomson, Reuters Locations: New York, U.S, Berkshire, Waller ., China, Europe, Vienna, North Macedonia

☆ Julius Baer declines to confirm Signa exposure
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Julius Baer's Chief Executive declined to confirm on Wednesday whether the private bank's 606 million Swiss franc ($693 million) exposure it disclosed earlier this week is to toppled property giant Signa. The CEO said it was too early to say what specific lessons could be learned relating to the large exposure in its private debt business. Troubled property group Signa, which owns scores of high-profile projects and department stores, declared insolvency on Wednesday. Signa, controlled by an Austrian magnate, has borrowed heavily from banks including Julius Baer, which on Monday disclosed it had an exposure of more than 600 million Swiss francs, the largest in its private debt loan book, to a European conglomerate. "I believe Julius Baer will be able to continue its risk appetite and its risk capacity as we have on average in the last few years."

Persons: Julius Baer's, Philipp Rickenbacher, Julius Baer, Rickenbacher, Noele Illien, Elaine Hardcastle, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Financial Times, Global Banking, Thomson Locations: ZURICH, Austrian

A view of the sign of Signa Holding on their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 6, 2023. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVIENNA/FRANKFURT, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Property and retail giant Signa declared insolvency on Wednesday after last-ditch attempts to secure fresh funding failed, the biggest casualty so far of Europe's property crash. Signa blamed its problems on external factors affecting its property business and pressure on high-street shopping. Fuelled by low interest rates, billions were funneled into property, which was viewed as stable and safe. Weakness in commercial real estate in the United States as offices remain empty after the pandemic and the struggles of major property developers in China have focused global attention on the sector.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Rene Benko, Signa, Switzerland's Julius Baer, Hannes Moesenbacher, Matthias Inverardi, Rachel More, Madeline Chambers, Catherine Evans Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Rights, Chrysler, Austria's Raiffeisen Bank, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, FRANKFURT, Germany, Switzerland, Hamburg, Bavaria, Hesse, Europe's, United States, China

☆ Julius Baer’s damage control only goes so far
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Swiss private bank Julius Baer is seen at their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland February 2, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 27 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Julius Baer (BAER.S) has soothed agitated investors’ fears – but only up to a point. The $11 billion Swiss wealth manager said on Monday that 70 million Swiss francs of recently revealed losses stemmed from 606 million Swiss francs of loans to a single corporate client – which Reuters identified as troubled property group Signa. That’s 40% of the bank’s 1.5 billion Swiss francs riskiest credits, an uncomfortably high concentration. That implies a buffer of 450 million Swiss francs over the 14% threshold at which boss Philipp Rickenbacher gets comfortable doing share buybacks.

Persons: Julius Baer, Arnd, ’, –, Philipp Rickenbacher, Julius Baer’s, Lisa Jucca, Warren Buffett, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, X, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, China

☆ Baer says exposure to single group tops 600 mln francs as Signa crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Swiss private bank Julius Baer is seen at their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland February 2, 2022. Julius Baer has exposure to troubled property group Signa, a source close to the matter told Reuters, adding that Julius Baer was expected to write down some of those loans. "If and when appropriate, the Group will remain prudent in booking further valuation adjustments as required," Julius Baer said. Last week Baer's shares slumped to their lowest this year as the bank dampened profit expectations after loan provisions amounting to 82 million Swiss francs. Of the 82 million francs, 70 million francs were booked against its credit portfolio after Oct. 31, 2023, without identifying the loans in question.

Persons: Julius Baer, Arnd, Philipp Rickenbacher, Andreas Venditti, Noele Illien, Rachel More, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss

View of the construction site of the Elbtower building, owned by Rene Benko’s Signa and a Commerzbank subsidiary, in Hamburg Germany, November 2, 2023. On Friday, Signa Real Estate Management filed for insolvency in a local court in Berlin, according to a court filing. The real estate sector was a bedrock of Germany's economy for years, accounting for roughly a fifth of output and one in 10 jobs. Now a sharp rise in rates has put an end to the run, tipping some developers into insolvency as deals freeze and prices fall. Weakness in commercial real estate in the United States as offices remain empty after the pandemic and the struggles of major property developers in China have focused global attention on the sector.

Persons: Rene Benko’s Signa, Fabian Bimmer, Signa, Elliott, Rene Benko, Switzerland's Julius Baer, Hannes Moesenbacher, Matthias Inverardi, John O'Donnell, Miranda Murray, Sharon Singleton, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Elliott Investment Management, Chrysler, Estate Management, Austria's Raiffeisen Bank, Thomson Locations: Hamburg Germany, Austrian, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Berlin, Bavaria, Hesse, Hamburg, Europe's, United States, China

☆ Germany's Kuehne examines offer for Signa's Hamburg skyscraper, Handelsblatt reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

View of the construction site of the Elbtower building, owned by Rene Benko’s Signa and a Commerzbank subsidiary, in Hamburg Germany, November 2, 2023. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Nov 26 (Reuters) - German logistics entrepreneur Klaus-Michael Kuehne is examining a takeover of Signa Group's abandoned Elbtower high-rise project in his hometown of Hamburg, Handelsblatt reported. Discussions on the takeover by Kuehne are quite advanced, but no decision has been made, German newspaper Handelsblatt reported, citing a source. Signa, owner of New York's Chrysler Building and Britain's Selfridges store, and spokespeople for Kuehne and the city of Hamburg did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday. This led to the insolvency of its subsidiary Signa Real Estate Management Germany on Friday, Spiegel magazine reported.

Persons: Rene Benko’s Signa, Fabian Bimmer, Klaus, Michael Kuehne, Group's, Handelsblatt, Signa, Kuehne und Nagel, Hapag Lloyd, René Benko, Emma, Victoria Farr, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kuehne, Lufthansa, Chrysler, Real Estate Management, Spiegel, Thomson Locations: Hamburg Germany, Hamburg, Austrian, Real Estate Management Germany, Signa, Germany

☆ Signa unit confirms bankruptcy filing in letter to employees - Wirtschaftswoche
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Signa Real Estate Management confirmed its bankruptcy filing in a letter to employees on Friday evening, German magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported on Saturday, citing a copy of the letter. In the document, Signa REM Germany informed its employees about the company opening insolvency proceedings. Der Spiegel first reported the court filing at the Berlin Charlottenburg district court on Friday. A provisional insolvency administrator will "probably be appointed by the local court at very short notice," the letter stated. Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Der Spiegel, Signa, Emma, Victoria Farr, Mark Potter Organizations: Estate Management, Reuters, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Berlin Charlottenburg

☆ Signa unit files for insolvency as crisis at Benko's empire deepens -Spiegel
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Signa Real Estate Management Germany filed an official application for bankruptcy at the Berlin Charlottenburg district court, German magazine Spiegel reported on Friday, as the crisis at Rene Benko's property group deepens. Separately, Austrian newspaper Der Standard said a bankruptcy filing for Signa Group could come next Tuesday, citing a source. Meetings of Signa employees are planned for the same day, when employees will be given information about the insolvency and further steps, the paper reported. Signa Group declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The Signa group has holdings of 27 billion euros ($28.8 billion) and 25 billion euros in development.

Persons: Spiegel, Rene Benko's, Benko, Signa, Emma, Victoria Farr, Matthias Inverardi, John O'Donnell, Elisa Martinuzzi, Louise Heavens Organizations: Estate Management, Signa, Reuters, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Estate Management Germany, Berlin Charlottenburg, Austria, Germany, Europe's

☆ ECB says property slump could last years in threat to lenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

An ECB report which examines threats to financial stability underscored heightened concern over a property boom that is now unravelling in countries such as Germany and Sweden. Commercial property prices have been hit by economic weakness and high interest rates over the last year, challenging the sector's profitability and business model, the ECB said. The sector is not big enough to create a systemic risk for lenders, but could increase shocks across the financial system and greatly impact the financial firms, from investment funds to insurance firms, collectively known as shadow banks. The ECB issued its report as deep cracks emerged in the property market of the euro zone's top economy, Germany. Commercial real estate transactions were down 47% in the first half of 2023, compared with the same period in 2022.

Persons: René Benko, Banks, Balazs Koranyi, John O'Donnell, Barbara Lewis, Alexander Smith Organizations: European Central Bank, ECB, Signa, Chrysler, Signa Group, Reuters, Raiffeisen Bank, Bank, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, Sweden, Austrian, Hamburg, Austria, Bank Austria

☆ Austria's RBI: realized extra 150 mln euros of property sector risk provisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is seen at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsVIENNA, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) (RBIV.VI) has realized additional forward-looking risk provisions of around 150 million euros ($163 million) for the real estate sector, the Austrian bank's risk chief, Hannes Moesenbacher, said on Tuesday. Chief Executive Johann Strobl added that these provisions are "on top" and therefore go beyond what can be modelled. "In total, our top five commitments in the real estate sector amount to 2.2 billion euros," said Moesenbacher, who added that number one position amounted to 755 million euros. At its general meeting in March, RBI had decided not to distribute a dividend for the time being due to uncertainties.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Hannes Moesenbacher, Johann Strobl, Moesenbacher, Rene Benko, Strobl, Alexandra Schwarz, Miranda Murray, David Evans Organizations: Raiffeisen Bank, REUTERS, Rights, Signa Group, RBI, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, Austrian, Russia

☆ Julius Baer lowers profit expectations as credit provisions rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of Swiss private bank Julius Baer is seen at their headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland February 2, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsZURICH, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Julius Baer (BAER.S) on Monday dampened profit expectations after it booked valuation adjustments of 82 million Swiss francs ($92.6 million). The Swiss bank said that of the 82 million francs in valuation adjustments, 70 million francs were booked against the group's credit portfolio after Oct. 31, 2023. Analysts at Zuercher Kantonalbank had expected 15 billion francs, with Baer having already reported inflows of 7 billion francs for the first half of 2023. Assets under management rose 3% to 435 billion francs during the period, driven mainly by inflows and the strength of the global equity market.

Persons: Julius Baer, Arnd, Baer, Rene Benko, Andreas Venditti, Zuercher Kantonalbank, Noele, Miranda Murray, Christopher Cushing, David Goodman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Signa, Reuters, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Switzerland, Swiss, Zuercher

☆ Benko's Signa unit seeks $2.2 bln funding amid property crisis - Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Acquire Licensing RightsNov 15 (Reuters) - Property tycoon Rene Benko-founded Signa Group's Prime unit has approached investors to seek up to 2 billion euros ($2.17 billion) in funding, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Signa Prime, which co-owns the Selfridges department store in London, requires 500 million euros to meet obligations this year alone and will need another 1.5 billion euros of cash in the first half of 2024, the report said. Some of the investors have turned down the request, while others are still in the early stages of assessing it, according to Bloomberg News. Thailand's largest department store owner, Central Group, on Tuesday took control of Selfridges department stores after the real estate company brought it in a deal worth $5 billion in 2021. The funding request comes as Signa faces a property crisis in Europe exacerbated by a sharp rise in rates and building costs.

Persons: Peter Nicholls, Rene Benko, Signa, Arndt Geiwitz, Angela Christy M, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Bloomberg, Bloomberg News, Central, Thomson Locations: Oxford, London, Britain, Austria, Europe

☆ UniCredit, RBI among banks on hook for $2.4 bln in Signa loans -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

RBI, which the person said had sharply reduced its exposure to the Signa group in recent years, declined to comment on Thursday. The European Central Bank (ECB), which supervises the banks, declined to comment. Raiffeisen Landesbank Niederoesterreich-Wien, Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberoesterreich and Erste Group are also among the banks with exposures to Signa, the person said. The other two Austrian banks declined to comment. A spokesperson for Austria's central bank said it had no concerns about the country's financial stability, when asked about Signa's financial position.

Persons: UniCredit, Signa, Rene Benko, Fitch, Landesbank, Banks, Arndt Geiwitz, Francesco Canepa, Tom Sims, Elisa Martinuzzi, Alexander Smith Organizations: Signa Group, Chrysler, Raiffeisen Bank, Bank, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, Erste Group, Erste, Austria's National Bank, Market Authority, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Banks, Austria, Bank Austria, Wien

☆ Signa founder Benko hands reins of property empire to Geiwitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of the sign of Signa Holding on their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 6, 2023. Benko, an Austrian entrepreneur and a key figure in Europe's property market for two decades, is known for high-profile purchases including New York's iconic Chrysler Building and Britain's Selfridges. Some current and former investors - themselves titans of industry - have in recent days publicly lashed out at Benko, raising questions about his future role at Signa. What is important now is to restore trust, and I want to play my part in that," Benko said in the statement. Geiwitz is best known for his role in the insolvency proceedings of Germany's Galeria Kaufhof-Karstadt department stores and drug store chain Schlecker.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Rene Benko, Arndt Geiwitz, Fitch, Benko, Signa, Geiwitz, Germany's Galeria, Alexandra Schwarz, Tom Sims, Matthias Williams, Kirsti Knolle, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Signa, REUTERS, Rights, Chrysler, titans, Germany's, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, FRANKFURT, Germany, Austrian, Benko

[1/4] View of the construction site of the Elbtower building, owned by Rene Benko’s Signa and a Commerzbank subsidiary, in Hamburg Germany, November 2, 2023. Signa, the Austrian property giant and an owner of New York's Chrysler Building, had been making steady progress this year on the planned 64-story Elbtower skyscraper in Hamburg. But Signa, founded by René Benko, has fallen behind on its payments to its builder, Lupp, an executive of the construction firm said. The city of Hamburg and a minority investor, the real-estate subsidiary of Germany's Commerzbank (CBKG.DE), confirmed the stoppage. It has also prompted warnings from city officials, and is another indicator of troubles hitting the property sector in Europe's largest economy.

Persons: Rene Benko’s Signa, Fabian Bimmer, René Benko, Matthias Kaufmann, Signa, Germany's, Aon, Timo Herzberg, Karen Pein, Tom Sims Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Chrysler, Reuters, City, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Hamburg Germany, Austrian, Hamburg, Europe's, HafenCity, City of Hamburg

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