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☆ European banks in Russia face 'awful lot of risk', Yellen says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Kent Nishimura | Getty ImagesU.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters that European banks face growing risks operating in Russia and the U.S. is looking at strengthening its secondary sanctions on banks found to be aiding transactions for Russia's war effort. "We are looking at potentially a tougher stepping-up of our sanctions on banks that do business in Russia," Yellen told Reuters in an interview, declining to provide specifics and not identifying any banks at which they could be aimed. Speaking on the sidelines of a G7 finance leaders meeting in northern Italy, Yellen said that sanctions related to banks' dealings in Russia would only be imposed "if there was a reason to do so, but operating in Russia creates an awful lot of risk," she added. European Central Bank policymaker Fabio Panetta had clear instructions for Italian banks on Saturday telling reporters that lenders must "get out" of Russia because staying in the country brings a "reputational problem." Raiffeisen is the largest European lender doing business in Russia, followed by UniCredit.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Kent Nishimura, Yellen, Central Bank policymaker Fabio Panetta, Joe Biden's Organizations: Treasury Department, Getty, Treasury, Reuters, Bank International, Central Bank, UniCredit, United Arab Locations: Washington , DC, Russia, U.S, Italy, Ukraine, China, United Arab Emirates, Turkey

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

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

☆ Putin signs decree permitting Italy's Intesa to sell Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a concert dedicated to the 100th birth anniversary of Soviet and Russian poet Rasul Gamzatov at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, September 28, 2023. Sputnik/Aleksey Nikolskyi/Kremlin via REUTERS/file photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree giving Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) permission to sell or dispose of its assets in Russia, a document posted on a Russian government website showed on Friday. The latest decree said Moscow was permitting transactions that would lead to the direct or indirect disposal of 100% of Intesa's shares. It stopped new financing to Russian clients and fresh investments in Russian assets when the conflict broke out. The green light for Intesa could pave the way for similar approvals for other lenders still entangled in Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Rasul Gamzatov, Aleksey Nikolskyi, Putin, Intesa, UniCredit, Maxim Rodionov, Alexander Marrow, Susan Fenton, Mark Potter Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Raiffeisen Bank, Thomson Locations: Russian, Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Ukraine

☆ Russia says it won't let foreign banks leave easily
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev attends a session of the annual international military-technical forum "ARMY" at Patriot Expocentre in Moscow Region, Russia August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Russian Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Moiseev said on Friday that the government would not allow foreign banks to leave Russia easily. "We have stated our position and it stands - we will be tough in letting foreign banks go, it will depend on the decision to unfreeze Russian assets," Moiseev said, speaking at a forum. Responding to questions about applications to sell assets, Moiseev said Austria's Raiffeisen Bank (RBIV.VI) had not made such a request. "I am aware of one foreign bank's application to sell assets ... which is under consideration by the government commission," he said.

Persons: Alexei Moiseev, Maxim, Moiseev, Austria's, Elena Fabrichnaya, Felix Light, Bobrova, Hugh Lawson, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Austria's Raiffeisen Bank, Thomson Locations: Moscow Region, Russia, Ukraine, Western, Russian

☆ Exclusive: Intesa closer to gaining Moscow's OK for Russia asset transfer -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The logo of bank Intesa Sanpaolo is seen in Milan, Italy, January 18, 2016. A spokesperson for Intesa Sanpaolo declined to comment. Pressured by European banking supervisors to cut ties with Russia, Intesa has been working on reducing its exposure, which also includes cross-border loans. Local loans totalled 100 million euros, down 66% from a year before. Russian media has previously reported on possible exit options, including the potential transfer to local management led by Intesa Russia Chairman Antonio Fallico.

Persons: Stefano Rellandini, MILAN, Intesa, Intesa Sanpaolo, Vladimir Putin, Antonio Fallico, Fallico, Valentina Za, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, UniCredit, Raiffeisen Bank, Intesa, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Intesa, Russian

☆ The biggest Western bank still operating in Russia gave its employees an extra $220 million over the last 6 months. That's an average of $24,000 per employee.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Raiffeisen Bank spent $220 million more in staff costs for the Russian market in the first half of 2023. The Austrian bank is the largest Western bank still operating in Russia. And though the increase in headcount is minuscule, the bank's staff cost doubled during the reporting period, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. Raiffeisen Bank — the largest Western bank still operating in Russia, per Reuters — is still profitable in the country. Profits after tax at Raiffeisen's Russian business rose 9% on-year to 685 million euros in the first six months of the year.

Persons: It's, Raiffeisen, Reuters —, Johann Strobl, Strobl Organizations: Raiffeisen Bank, Service, Staff, Austria's Raiffeisen Bank, Financial Times, Raiffeisen, Reuters, New York Times Locations: Austrian, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Vienna, Ukraine

☆ The EU is losing patience with European banks still making money in Russia. A top official is now pressuring them to exit the market 'as soon as they can.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A top ECB official called on EU banks still operating in Russia to exit the market asap. His comments followed news that some Western firms are still operating in Russia, despite sweeping sanctions. It's unclear how many Western banks are still doing business in Russia. The Financial Times reported in January that just a handful of the 45 Western banks with subsidiaries in Russia have managed to exit. Still, EU banks have managed to reduce their exposures to Russian counterparties by 37% in 2022, he said.

Persons: —, Russia —, Andrea Enria, Enria, it's Organizations: ECB, Service, European, European Central Bank, European Financials Conference, Financial Times, Novaya Gazeta Europe, Austria's, Raiffeisen, Reuters, Yale University, Russia Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Novaya

☆ Some European banks are still making money in Russia. The EU is losing patience and pressuring them to exit the market ASAP.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Western companies still operating in Russia were so profitable in 2022 that their corporate taxes contributed almost $4 billion to the country's revenues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The 100 largest Western companies still operating in Russia posted $13 billion in profits in 2022, per Novaya Gazeta. Profits jumped 54% from 2021 and the firms contributed $3.5 billion in corporate taxes in 2022. The top 100 Western companies that remained in Russia made so much money that they contributed nearly 288 billion rubles, or $3.5 billion, in corporate taxes in 2022, according to a June 8 report from Novaya Gazeta Europe. The biggest taxpayers were US, UK, and French companies who paid 40 billion, 47 billion, and 55 billion rubles, respectively. Like TotalEnergies, BP, and Raiffeisen Bank, many Western companies are still trying to leave Russia.

Persons: —, TotalEnergies Organizations: Novaya Gazeta, Companies, Raiffeisen Bank, Service, Novaya Gazeta Europe, Austria's, Bank, Reuters, Yale University, Financial Times Locations: Russia, Novaya, Ukraine, Moscow, Europe, TotalEnergies

☆ ECB urges banks in Russia to leave quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, June 13 (Reuters) - Euro zone banks in Russia should leave quickly, the bloc's top supervisor said on Tuesday, making a rare explicit call on those lenders to wind down operations more than a year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "I think that it is important that banks remain very focused on reducing further their exposures and, ideally, exiting the market as soon as they can," Andrea Enria, the European Central Bank's chief supervisor, told a conference. More than a year into the war in Ukraine, a handful of European banks, including Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) and Italy's UniCredit (CRDI.MI), are still making money in Russia. Raiffeisen and UniCredit, which both say are shrinking their businesses in Russia, play an important role for Russia's economy, which is grappling with sweeping Western sanctions. Raiffeisen, the most important Western bank in Russia, has said it is examining a spin-off or sale.

Persons: Andrea Enria, Italy's, Enria, Raiffeisen, Balazs Koranyi, John O'Donnell, Andrew Heavens, Emelia Organizations: Central Bank's, Austria's Raiffeisen Bank, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

Banks typically sold these perpetual bonds - known as AT1 bonds - with five years before an option to repay was triggered. In the past, investors got their money back, and banks replaced the bonds with new ones, but some are changing tack. The banks' actions show how the wipeout of billions of dollars of Credit Suisse AT1 bonds still reverberates around this market, which is estimated at roughly $275 billion. "The AT1 market is splitting," said Alessandro Cameroni, a portfolio manager at asset manager Lemanik. SHOCK ABSORBERThe AT1 bonds were designed to help banks absorb losses, and they count towards their capital buffers.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Banks, Alessandro Cameroni, Lemanik, Peter Harvey, Federated Hermes, Italy's, Morgan Stanley, Karsten Junius, J . Safra Sarasin, Chiara Elisei, Carlo Giovanni Boffa, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Suisse, Raiffeisen Bank, Reuters, Deutsche, Aareal Bank, Credit Suisse, Investors, Federated, Lloyds, Societe Generale, UBS, Santander, J ., Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Ukraine, Swiss, Schroders, Russia

The European Central Bank has pressed RBI to unwind its highly profitable Russian business, people have told Reuters, and the Austrian bank says it has been working on a solution. "The group will continue to progress potential transactions which would result in the sale or spin-off of Raiffeisenbank Russia," RBI said as it released better-than-expected earnings. In Russia, profit after tax was 301 million euros ($332 million), up from 96 million euros a year earlier. Overall, the Russia business generated more than 40% of RBI's in the quarter. Reuters GraphicsThe Austrian bank has operated in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union and is Russia's 10th-largest bank by assets.

☆ Austria's RBI Q1 net profit up better-than-expected 49%
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, May 4 (Reuters) - Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI), one of the banks in Europe most exposed to Russia, posted a bigger-than-expected 49% rise in profit in the first quarter. Net profit in the quarter was 657 million euros ($724.28 million), up from 442 million euros a year earlier, the bank said. Analysts had expected profit of 528 million euros, according to a consensus published by RBI. RBI provided the figures a day ahead of schedule with little explanation of drivers behind the earnings. ($1 = 0.9071 euros)Reporting by Tom Sims and Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia should not take temporary control of foreign banks' units, central-bank governor says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a decree placing the Russian assets of Finland's Fortum (FORTUM.HE) and Germany's Uniper (UN01.DE), which both operate power plants in Russia, under Moscow's control. "Such decisions should be made with very good reasons, connected to the stable functioning of the Russian economy," Nabiullina said when asked whether Russia could do the same with banks. Foreign banks have stepped in to take business from Russian lenders hit by sweeping Western sanctions imposed after Moscow despatched troops to Ukraine in February 2022. Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI), earned more than half of its profit last year from Russia. Reporting by Elena Fabrichnaya, Vladimir Soldatkin, Alexander Marrow and Jake Cordell; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

April 21 (Reuters) - Demand for the Chinese yuan is growing in Russia, the CEO of Sberbank (SBER.MM) said on Friday, adding that the lender has made use of central bank currency swaps providing yuan liquidity. CEO German Gref said Sberbank was gradually raising its interest rates on yuan deposits and had resorted to borrowing from the Russian central bank in yuan several times. Gref said shareholders at the bank's annual general meeting on Friday had supported the board's recommendation to pay a record 565 billion roubles ($6.94 billion) in dividends. Gref said the bank would take advantage of an early payment option and direct around 10 billion roubles to the budget. Gref said Sberbank was not engaged in any talks with Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) over an asset swap.

☆ Deutsche Bank Russian profits leapt in 2022, even as assets dropped
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank's (DBKGn.DE) Russian subsidiary's profits jumped by almost six times in 2022 to 5.4 billion roubles ($66.42 million), Russian audit documents showed, the latest example of a foreign lender booking strong earnings in the Russian market. Deutsche Bank said it would wind down its business in Russia in March 2022, joining other foreign lenders in leaving the country. Profit for the period leapt by more than 480% to 5.4 billion roubles. However, total assets dropped 36.3% to 81.6 billion roubles. Net interest income jumped more than 10 times to just over 7 billion roubles.

[1/5] The logo of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is seen on their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, March 14, 2023. REUTERS/Leonhard FoegerVIENNA, March 23 (Reuters) - The European Central Bank is pressing Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBIV.VI) to unwind its highly profitable business in Russia, five people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. One person said such a plan could include the sale or closure of its Russian bank. A Raiffeisen spokesperson said that it was examining options for its Russia business "including a carefully managed exit" and that it was "expediting" its assessment, adding that it had also reduced lending in the country. HIGH STAKESIn January, the U.S. sanctions authority launched an inquiry into Raiffeisen over its business related to Russia.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed 0.1% higher ahead of a slew of economic data due later this week. Telecom Italia (TIM) (TLIT.MI) fell 2.7% as a government-sponsored offer rivalling KKR's bid for the former phone monopoly's prized grid failed to materialise over the weekend. The EURO STOXX index (.STOXXE), which houses major companies in the eurozone, inched down 0.1%. On the economic front, euro zone consumer confidence rose by 1.7 points in February from January, as expected, figures showed. Forvia, the European car parts maker born from Faurecia's (EPED.PA) takeover of Hella (HLE.DE), forecast stable 2023 sales, sending Faurecia nearly 2.3% higher.

☆ European shares flat as Telecom Italia drags eurozone stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) was flat after opening marginally higher. That also boosted oil prices, lifting European energy stocks (.SXEP) by 0.3%. The EURO STOXX index (.STOXXE), which houses major companies in the eurozone, dipped 0.1%. Telecom Italia (TIM)(TLIT.MI) shares dropped 3% as a government-sponsored offer rivalling KKR's bid for the former phone monopoly's prized grid failed to materialise over the weekend. The European autos and auto parts sector index (.SXAP) rose 0.6%.

[1/4] A Russian police officer stands in front of a branch of the Raiffeisen Bank in Moscow, Russia, February 27, 2016. It made a net profit of roughly 3.8 billion euros last year, thanks in large part to a 2 billion euro plus profit from its Russia business. Of UniCredit's more than 20 billion euro total revenue last year, Russia accounted for more than 1 billion euros. Meanwhile, Russian savers lodged more than 20 billion euros with the bank, which offers a place to deposit funds with fewer sanctions risks. It banned investors from so-called unfriendly countries from selling shares in banks, unless the Russian President grants an exemption.

☆ Enlisted Russian Raiffeisen Bank employee killed in Ukraine conflict - lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies This content was produced in Russia, where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in UkraineMOSCOW, Oct 21 (Reuters) - A Russian employee of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) (RBIV.VI) was killed after being mobilised to fight against Ukraine, despite his bank writing to the draft office seeking an exemption, his lawyer told Reuters on Friday. Izmailov had gone to his recruitment office on Sept. 23 intending to explain that he was entitled to deferment. Raiffeisen in Russia declined to comment and its head office in Austria, as well as the Russian Defence Ministry, did not immediately respond to inquiries. Raiffeisen has operated in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union 30 years ago and its business there - which is Russia's No. 10 bank by assets - contributed almost a third to group net profit of 1.5 billion euros ($1.5 billion) last year.

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