- Erste Group Bank AG wins ATX, Journalists’ and Sustainability Award
- Wienerberger AG receives Corporate Bond Award and two 2nd places
- 1st place in the Mid Cap Award goes to Flughafen Wien AG
It is the most prestigious award on the Austrian capital market: the Vienna Stock Exchange Award. Tonight, numerous leading Austrian companies were once again honoured at the 17th edition of the event and a total of 13 awards were presented in the festive setting of the Palais Niederösterreich. In the proven manner, the juries were made up of experts from ÖVFA (ATX, Mid Cap and Corporate Bond Award), financial journalists coordinated by APA-Finance (Journalists’ Award) and the VÖNIX Advisory Board (Sustainability Award). For the first time, the Vienna Stock Exchange Award was labelled an "EcoEvent" by the City of Vienna, as sustainable measures were implemented to reduce the event's environmental impact.
"The Vienna Stock Exchange offers the ideal stage for leading Austrian companies 365 days a year. Companies that have excelled with their work and performance are particularly put in the spotlight by the capital market community once a year. Resistant to crises, with a solid dividend policy and in some cases global market leaders in their niches, Austrian companies enjoy a high reputation among investors worldwide," stated Christoph Boschan, CEO of the Vienna Stock Exchange, at the event.
Series continued: Erste Group once again honoured for media work
Erste Group Bank AG was invited on stage several times: First and foremost, the heavyweight on the leading national index won the prestigious ATX Award. The ÖVFA jury's decision was based on the record result, a balanced and conservative business portfolio, performance and liquidity. Erste Group Bank AG was also awarded first prize in the Journalists' Award and was thus rewarded with the top ranking for the fifth time in a row for its professional media work.
"2023 was a very successful year for Erste Group. The IPO over 25 years ago laid the foundation for our development into one of the leading financial services providers in Central and Eastern Europe. For me, today's awards, especially the ATX Prize, are also evidence that we have done a lot of things right and are so well positioned now”, said Erste Group CEO Willi Cernko, who will hand over the chairmanship of the Management Board to Peter Bosek at the beginning of July.
Wienerberger receives Corporate Bond Award, Vienna Airport wins Mid Cap Award
Wienerberger AG was also successful several times, not only winning the Corporate Bond Award, but also taking second place in both the ATX and Journalists’ Awards. Third place in the ATX Award went to CA Immobilien Anlagen AG, while Verbund AG secured the third place in the Journalists’ Award.
Flughafen Wien AG was the winner of the Mid Cap Award, which impressed not only with qualitative criteria such as financial reporting, investor relations and strategy, but also with its strong share performance. The share gained 57.34% in 2023, placing it among the top five performers in the ATX Prime. Flughafen Wien AG was followed by Strabag SE (2nd place) and Palfinger AG (3rd place).
Lenzing, Telekom Austria and Erste Group honoured for sustainability
VÖNIX Sustainability Awards were also presented at Vienna Stock Exchange Award 2024, named after the domestic sustainability benchmark VBV Austrian Sustainability Index – or VÖNIX for short. Erste Group Bank AG, which held its own in the "Financials" sector, received a third award at this year's ceremony. Telekom Austria AG ("Consumer" sector) and Lenzing AG ("Industrials" sector) were honoured by the jury for their commitment to sustainability as best in sector and sector riser respectively.
In his remarks, Finance Minister Magnus Brunner emphasised the importance of the award-winning leading companies for the business location: "The Austrian listed companies are among the flagships of the domestic economy and are recognised internationally beyond the country's borders. As the backbone of the Austrian economy, they drive innovation and secure value creation and prosperity."
Overview of categories and award winners
ATX Award
1st place: Erste Group Bank AG
2nd place: Wienerberger AG
3rd place: CA Immobilien Anlagen AG
Mid Cap Award
1st place: Flughafen Wien AG
2nd place: STRABAG SE
3rd place: Palfinger AG
VÖNIX Sustainability Award
Financials: Erste Group Bank AG
Consumer: Telekom Austria AG
Industrials: Lenzing AG
Journalists' Award
1st place: Erste Group Bank AG
2nd place: Wienerberger AG
3rd place: VERBUND AG
Corporate Bond Award
Wienerberger AG
About the Vienna Stock Exchange Award
The first Vienna Stock Exchange Award was organised in 2008. The award is jointly presented by Aktienforum, APA-Finance, Cercle Investor Relations Austria (CIRA), Oesterreichische Kontrollbank (OeKB), Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB), Austrian Association for Financial Analysis and Asset Management (ÖVFA) with CFA Society Austria, Association of Austrian Investment Companies (VÖIG), VÖNIX Advisory Board, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO), Zertifikate Forum Austria (ZFA) and Vienna Stock Exchange.
