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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

☆ The US is pressuring the biggest Western bank in Russia to cancel a $1.6 billion industrial investment
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-21 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewAn Austrian bank's plan to repatriate $1.6 billion in assets still stuck in Russia is facing US pushback, on concern that the deal would breach Western sanctions. The Raiffeisen Bank International remains the biggest foreign-owned lender remaining in the country, as efforts to sell or spin off its Russian unit have struggled since Moscow's tightened exit requirements on foreign firms. That's as Deripaska is sanctioned for potential links to the Kremlin, making the transaction a possible breach of Western restrictions. Aside from Raiffeisen, the US has been stepping up pressure on foreign banks that continue to facilitate transactions with Russia.

Persons: —, Oleg Deripaska, Raiffeisen, that's Organizations: Service, Raiffeisen Bank, Business, Reuters Locations: Austrian, Russia, Russian, Vienna, Washington, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Turkey

☆ Barclays names three global stocks to buy for the next quarter, giving them major upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Barclays has named three European stocks — Smurfit Kappa , Leroy Seafood and Raiffeisen Bank — for investors to consider buying for the upcoming quarter. 7: Smurfit Kappa Barclays is bullish on paper packaging maker Smurfit Kappa with a £38.30 ($49.10) price target, indicating 16% upside potential. SKG-GB 1Y mountain Leroy Seafood Barclays also highlighted Leroy Seafood Group, a Norwegian seafood company. Raiffeisen Bank Barclays named Raiffeisen Bank International, an Austrian banking group, as another stock to own in the next quarter, giving it an upside potential of 35%. "Strabag deal improves credibility on Russia exit plan," Barclays analyst Krishnendra Dubey said in a note to clients on Mar.

Persons: Kappa, Leroy Seafood, WestRock, Gaurav Jain, Leroy, Krishnendra Dubey Organizations: Barclays, Raiffeisen Bank, U.S, Mar, Smurfit Kappa Barclays, Kappa, Seafood Barclays, Leroy Seafood Group, Raiffeisen Bank Barclays, Raiffeisen Bank International, Raiffeisen, Strabag Locations: London, New York, Norwegian, Austrian, U.S, Russia

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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ As war grinds on, HSBC halts Russia payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HSBC Bank logo is seen in this illustration taken March 12, 2023. "We have therefore reached the decision to restrict commercial payments by our corporate entity customers to or from Russia and Belarus through HSBC," a HSBC spokesperson said. Business customers have been informed the bank no longer intends to process the payments, the spokesperson added, rolling out globally from this month. HSBC has announced an exit from Russia, but the planned sale of its unit to local lender Expobank has hit delays and is pending final regulatory approval. The United States has pushed for harsher action against banks with Russia links, while China in contrast has deepened economic ties with Russia.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Expobank, Iain Withers, John O'Donnell, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: HSBC Bank, REUTERS, HSBC, Belarus, Business, Nikkei, SWIFT, Raiffeisen Bank, United, Thomson Locations: Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Europe's, China, United States, Hong Kong, Moscow, Europe, Russian

☆ A timeline of 5 major hurdles Russia's imposed on Western firms trying to exit the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Russian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Some companies trying to exit Russia recently are facing demands of even steeper discounts, Reuters reported on August 25, citing three persons familiar with exit processes for foreign companies. Both firms had been trying to exit Russia for months before the seizures, before the sudden takeover. In July, Moscow targeted the Russian assets of food and beverage giants Danone and Carlsberg for seizures. A month later, in September, Russia demanded foreign banks unfreeze Russian assets if they wanted to exit the market.

Persons: Linklaters, —, Vladimir Putin's, Germany's, Fortum —, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Alexei Moiseev Organizations: Service, Yale University, Russia, Russian, Novaya Gazeta, Companies, Kremlin, Investors, Danone, Carlsberg, Financial Times, UBS, Credit Suisse —, Zenit Bank, Reuters, Raiffeisen Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, London, Russian, Moscow

☆ Russia says it will not let foreign banks exit the market easily — unless they unfreeze Russian assets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's deputy finance minister said the country will not let foreign banks exit the market easily, per Reuters. Russia's decision to allow the banks to leave will "depend on the decision to unfreeze Russian assets," he said. It is not clear how many of these Russian assets were frozen by Western banks. AdvertisementAdvertisementMoiseev said at the Friday forum that there's one foreign bank applying to sell its assets in Russia, per Reuters. That jumped to nearly $10 billion at the end of March 2023, per the FT.AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia's finance ministry, Kyiv School of Economics, Bank of China, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Agricultural Bank of China did not immediately respond to requests from Insider for comment.

Persons: Alexei Moiseev, Vladimir Putin's, it's, —, Moiseev, Raiffeisen Organizations: Reuters, Service, Yale University, Raiffeisen, Kyiv School of Economics, Bank of China, Industrial, Commercial Bank of, China Construction Bank, Agricultural Bank of, Financial Times, Agricultural Bank of China Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Moscow, Commercial Bank of China, China, Agricultural Bank of China

☆ 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

☆ Austria's Uniqa and Raiffeisen to sell stake in Raiffeisen Life to Russian insurer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of the Austrian insurer Uniqa is seen in front of its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, March 10, 2016. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 24 (Reuters) - Austria's Uniqa (UNIQ.VI) and Raiffeisen Bank (RBIV.VI) are to sell their stakes in Raiffeisen Life to Russian insurer Renaissance Life, becoming the latest move by Western companies to pare back business in Russia. Uniqa held 75% of Raiffeisen Life and RBI held the remaining 25%. "This means we are withdrawing from Russia," Uniqa's Management Board Member for Customers & Markets International Wolfgang Kindl said in the statement. In the first six months of 2023, Uniqa's technical result in Russia shrank to 5.8 million euros ($6.30 million) from an adjusted 8.5 million euros in the first half of 2022.

Persons: Leonhard Foeger, Uniqa, Wolfgang Kindl, pare, Tristan Veyet, Alexandra Schwarz, Andrey Sychev, David Evans Organizations: Uniqa, REUTERS, Raiffeisen Bank, Customers, Markets, Kremlin, Erste Group, Thomson Locations: Vienna, Austria, Western, pare, Russia, Ukraine, Gdansk

☆ 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

RBI has not yet outlined its plan to supervisors at the European Central Bank (ECB), two people with knowledge of its dealings with the central bank said, making a spin-off unlikely by September. Furthermore, the approval of Russia's central bank, finance ministry and, in the event of a sale, even Russian President Vladimir Putin, will be needed before RBI acts. The ECB urged RBI not to pay a dividend this year because of its concerns over Russia, one of the people said. Austria's central bank and the ECB declined to comment. Another source said he has urged the U.S. not to pressure RBI.

Persons: Raiffeisen, Vladimir Putin, UniCredit, month's Wagner, Robert Holzmann, Christine Lagarde, Magnus Brunner, Brian Nelson, Francesco Canepa, John O'Donnell, Alexander Smith Organizations: Raiffeisen, Reuters, Austrian, European Central Bank, ECB, Treasury, Foreign Assets, OFAC, U.S, Thomson Locations: VIENNA, Russia, Austria, Moscow, U.S, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, Vienna, Soviet, Austrian, United States, Frankfurt

☆ 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

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

☆ 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

☆ 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.

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