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While Romania seems to have fallen out of favor with OMV, or at least with its CEO, Wolfgang Ruttenstorfer, the Vienna Stock Exchange has just increased its share capital with the aim to acquire stakes in Eastern European Stock Exchanges, including Romania, in case they go on sale.
It would not be a hostile takeover, as "the relationship between Wiener Boerse and the Bucharest Stock Exchange is strong, for the long run and mutually beneficial", Michael Buhl CEO of the Vienna Stock Exchange said for BURSA. He added that currently "there are no negotiations under way for the acquisition of a stake".
No negotiations were held with other operators in the region that the Austrian Stock Exchange is interested in (Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria).
Mr. Buhl declined to mention estimates for the takeover targets of the Vienna Stock Exchange. Last year, Wiener Boerse acquired stakes in the Stock Exchanges of Ljubljana, Prague and Budapest.
Michael Buhl said: "The Vienna Stock Exchange sees itself as a long term investor in the region. We are interested in consolidating the group of Stock Exchanges. The , according to our vision, is to have the entire world see the markets of Central and Eastern Europe at a single glance at the trading screen, in order to be able to play on all the markets with the same rules, and as a long run objective, to have them use the same
Other plans of the Vienna Stock Exchange include increasing liquidity on the regional stock exchanges and increase their recognition among international investors.
"In order to reach our goal, we are focusing on trading shared data", Mr. Buhl explained, who added: "By the end of the year, we will provide data to the stock exchanges of Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana and Prague, as well as to those of Bucharest, Banja Luka and Sarajevo. What"s more, we are inviting companies which are listed in the region to our roadshows, and we are launching new indices and structured products, such as CEERIUS, which is an index of the Central and Eastern Europe, which was launched in March 2009".
Even though investors and international press have a rather gloomy outlook on Eastern European markets, Mr. Buhl is feeling optimistic.
"At this time, no one can accurately estimate what stage of the economic contraction we are in, and what it means in terms of prices and valuations", he said, and he added: "Still, recent indicators hint at a recovery and we believe that in the long run, there is an upwards trend".
Wiener Boerse has increased its share capital by 66 million Euros, by issuing shares. The stock exchange announced it sold two thirds of the newly issued shares, or 231,000 shares, at a price of EUR 285.
The Vienna Stock Exchange was not invited to participate in the privatization of the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which is its rival in the fight for supremacy in Central and Eastern Europe.
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