Merger

In February 2010, RZB and Raiffeisen International disclosed that they were considering as a strategic option merging RZB’s principal business areas – above all, its business with Austrian and international corporate customers – with those of Raiffeisen International. The objective of the merger was to combine Raiffeisen International's access to the equity capital markets with RZB's access to the debt capital markets. Furthermore, the merged bank would be strengthened in its position as one of the leading universal banks in CEE through the combination of Raiffeisen International’s broad distribution network in the CEE region and RZB’s comprehensive product portfolio. The bank would remain listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange and would be active primarily in the areas of retail (in CEE), corporate and investment banking.

The business associated with RZB's function as central institution of the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group would continue to be conducted by RZB, which would also act as steering holding for RBI, the RZB Group's core company.

The merger has become legally complete with the entry in the Commercial Register as of 11 October 2010. RBI has therefore taken over the customer relationships of its group parent RZB. The merger has created a bank that has optimised its access to the international capital markets and has more deeply anchored itself within the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group. As of this date, RBI has been covering under one roof all markets previously addressed by the RZB Group– the commercial customer business in Austria, business with international companies, the extensive bank and leasing network in CEE and additionally the business in Asia and the world's financial centres.

You can find detailed information regarding the merger (presentations, conference calls) here: