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☆ 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

☆ 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

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

☆ 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 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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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