Raiffeisen International Annual General Meeting approves dividend distribution of more than EUR 140 million

 

• Unchanged dividend of 0.93 euros/share

• Anticipatory resolution to issue participation rights

• Kurt Geiger appointed to the Supervisory Board

The annual general meeting of Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG, held today in the Austria Center Vienna, approved a dividend of 0.93 euros per share for the financial year 2008; this amount is unchanged from the dividend payout for the preceding financial year. The dividend will result in a total distribution of a maximum of 143.8 million euros. The payment date to shareholders eligible for dividends is 17 June 2009.

 

"The year 2008 was an exceptional one for Raiffeisen International in many senses of the word, as it was characterized both by a record profit, as well as by the first impacts of the global economic crisis. At today's annual general meeting, important steps were taken that help to ensure that Raiffeisen International is optimally prepared to meet current and future challenges", said CEO Herbert Stepic.

 

An anticipatory resolution formulated today authorizes the Managing Board to issue, also in several tranches, within five years participation rights having equity characteristics pursuant to § 174 of the Austrian Joint Stock Companies Act with a maximum total nominal amount of 2 billion euros. Such an issuance would be subject to the approval of the Supervisory Board and to the Management Board's determining all further conditions of the issue. This resolution ensures that in challenging times, Raiffeisen International has a high degree of flexibility in raising capital quickly and according to simplified procedures.

 

Raiffeisen International's fourth annual general meeting also passed a resolution appointing Kurt Geiger, who had held a senior position at the EBRD until last year, as a member of the group's Supervisory Board. In addition, Patrick Butler and Stewart Gager were reappointed as members of the Supervisory Board. All three will serve as Supervisory Board members until the close of the annual general meeting that grants discharge from liability with regard to the 2013 financial year.

 

With approximately 800 participants, today’s annual general meeting, which gave stakeholders the opportunity to exchange information and exercise their voting right, was once again one of the best-attended in Austria's recent capital market history.

 

* * * * *

 

Raiffeisen International operates one of the largest banking networks in CEE, covering 17 markets across the region through subsidiary banks, leasing companies and a range of other financial service providers. The group's nearly 62,000 employees service 14.9 million customers via more than 3,200 business outlets. Raiffeisen International is a fully-consolidated subsidiary of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Österreich AG (RZB), which owns about 70 per cent of the common stock. The remainder is in free float, with the shares listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. RZB is a leading corporate and investment bank in Austria and the central institution of the Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group, the country's largest banking group.

 

For further information, please contact Michael Palzer (+43-664-8888-2828, michael.palzer@ri.co.at) or Peter Klopf (+43-664-8888-1930, peter.klopf@ri.co.at).

www.ri.co.at, www.rzb.at