News Flash

Vienna Stock Exchange: Acquisition of Stake in Prague Stock Exchange Approved

ATX Committee Decisions

Increase in the number of shares

New Market Model “Continuous Auction with Issuer” for Trading in Certificates

ATX Performance in November 2008

Specialist and market maker performance

Monthly statistic

Top-performers

Service/Editorial information

> UniCredit forecasts recovery for the Vienna Stock Exchange by end of 2009 - Even though UniCredit expects Europe to be in recession until mid-2009, it still believes that the economy will stabilize and the stock markets recover again by the end of 2009. Peter Bauernfried, UniCredit-analyst for Austria, expects the ATX to hit 2,000 points by mid-2009 and even 2,400 points by year-end 2009. Financial stocks, which were the first to plummet, might also be the first to profit from a recovering economy according to Peter Bauernfried. (Der Standard, 22 Nov 2008)

> Dividends rise more steeply than earnings – Among domestic listed companies dividends rose more steeply than earnings in 2007. This is the finding of a study conducted by the Investors’ Interests Association (Interessenverband für Anleger, IVA). The dividend payout ratio was on average (dividend/share to profit/share) 30.9% to 33.1%. The highest payout ratios were reported for Österreichische Post AG with 80% and Telekom Austria with 68.8%. Thus, Austria is in line with the international average according to IVA President Wilhelm Rasinger.
(APA, 13 Nov 2008)

> ECB lowers key lending rate to 2.50% – Due to the recession in many European countries, the European Central Bank (ECB) sharply cut the key lending rate for the euro area on 4 December. The interest rate is now 0.75 percentage points lower at 2.50%. The last time the key interest rate for refinancing with the ECB for banks was this low was in the early summer of 2006. The Bank of England also lowered key lending rates surprisingly steeply by 100 basis points to 2.0 percent. The Swedish central bank even lowered its rate by 1.75 percentage points to 2.0%. (APA, ORF, 4 Dec 2008)

> Aktienforum: Elimination of the position of Special Government Representative for the Capital Market is a disastrous signal  – It is precisely now that the domestic capital market needs this function to coordinate government activities aimed at strengthening the Austrian financial marketplace in times of global financial crisis said Hellmut Longin, President of Aktienforum. The numerous initiatives of the past few years by Richard Schenz have contributed enormously to establishing the Austrian capital market as an important source of financing for companies and to bringing it into line with the EU average.
(Press release by Aktienforum, 3 Dec 2008)

The Vienna Stock Exchange announced on 9 December 2008 that the Czech National Bank (Česká Národní Banka) has granted its approval of the acquisition of the 92.4% stake in the Prague Stock Exchange notified by the exchange operating company, Wiener Börse AG, on 7 November 2008.

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On December 2, 2008, the ATX Committee resolved the inclusion of Österreichische Elektrizitätswirtschafts-AG (Verbundgesellschaft) (ISIN:AT0000746409, Short Code: VER) in the ATX five and the exclusion of Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG (ISIN:AT0000606306, Short Code: RIBH). The modification will be effective as of December 22, 2008.

[» Details]

voestalpine AG

As of Monday, December 1, 2008, an increase in the number of shares of voestalpine AG is effective.
 

Name:	voestalpine AG
New number of shares:	164,599,032
Old number of shares:	164,439,033
ISIN:	AT0000937503
Short Code:	VOE

[» Price information]

Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG

As of Tuesday, November 25, 2008, an increase in the number of shares of Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG is effective.
 

Name:	Erste Bank der oesterreichischen Sparkassen AG
New number of shares:	317,012,763
Old number of shares:	317,011,863
ISIN:	AT0000652011
Short Code:	EBS

[» Price information]

UNIQA Versicherungen AG

As of Wednesday, November 19, 2008, an increase in the number of shares of UNIQA Versicherungen AG is effective.

[» Price information]

As of November 24, 2008 – along with the roll-out of Xetra Release 9.1 – a new market model “ Continuous Auction with Issuer” has been implemented for trading in certificates. All certificates which traded in continuous trading have been moved to continuous auction as of November 24, 2008. Certificates traded in one single auction are not affected.

[» Details]

The ATX closed at 1,801.10 points on 28 November, 2008, which is a loss of 60.09% over year-end 2007 (4,512.98 points). The monthly high was 2,210.00 points (4 November, 2008), the monthly low was 1,516.09 points (21 November, 2008). The change against previous month (1,997.90 points on 31 October, 2008) was - 9.85%.

The ATX Prime closed at 790.42 points on 28 November, 2008, which is a loss of 62.87% over year-end 2007 (2,128.73 points). The change against previous month (890.29 points on 31 October, 2008) was - 11.22%.

A list of the average fulfilment rates of the specialist and market maker obligations for the month of November 2008 for the cash and derivatives market is available on the website of Wiener Börse AG, www.wienerborse.at

Monthly statistic for November 2008.

Price gains in the prime market. Securities with specialists in the XETRA^® trading system.
 

		31 Dec 2007- 14 Dec 2008	31 Dec 2002- 14 Dec 2008
1	OESTERR. POST AG*	- 6.21%	+ 18.42%
2	BRAIN FORCE HOLDING AG**	- 8.85%	- 39.19%
3	UNIQA VERSICHERUNGEN AG	- 15.04%	+ 122.78%
4	INTERCELL AG***	- 16.60%	+ 301.82%
5	SEMPERIT AG HOLDING	- 37.20%	+ 25.70%
6	MAYR-MELNHOF KARTON AG	- 37.28%	+ 31.91%

* first day of trading: 31 May 2006
** first day of trading: 22 Mar 2004
***first day of trading: 28 Feb 2005

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Editorial information

Media owner, publisher: Wiener Börse AG, A-1014 Vienna, 
Wallnerstraße 8, P.O. Box 192; 
Managing editors: Marketing & Corporate Communications

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