06.06.2007 /Investing
 Raiffeisen International: Annual General Meeting decides on an almost 60 per cent higher dividend.
Shareholders accept proposal for a dividend of 0.71 euros per share. The Annual General Meeting of Raiffeisen International Bank-Holding AG, held today at the Austria Center Vienna, agreed on a dividend of 0.71 euros per share for the 2006 financial year. Compared to the previous year, this amount is an increase of 26 cents or 58 per cent per share. The dividend payout amounts to a maximum of 101.4 million euros. The ex-dividend date is 13 June 2007, as of which the dividend will also be paid. "With a market capitalization of almost 16 billion euros, Raiffeisen International is today among the 500 largest and most valuable listed companies in the world. Prior to our going public, even optimistic market observers would not have expected such a development. This supports our original statement that the Raiffeisen International share is headed for growth," commented Herbert Stepic, Raiffeisen International's Chairman of the Managing Board. The company's success – achieved not only in recent years – is also corroborated by the development of its share price. After experiencing a more than 70 per cent increase in 2005, the share recorded a profit gain of 108 per cent in 2006. As a result, the Raiffeisen International share was not only the most successful one in the ATX but also in the Dows Jones Euro STOXX Banks. As at last year’s meeting of shareholders, which was one of the biggest in Austria’s more recent capital-market history, a large number of visitors also attended this year’s general meeting. The shareholders among the roughly 600 participants took the opportunity to exchange information and to exercise their voting rights. The shareholders agreed on an adjustment of the nominal capital from company funds from 931,108.69 euros to 435,448,500.00 euros. The objective of this capital adjustment – implemented by re-transferring committed capital reserves and not by issuing new shares – is to smooth out the pro-rata shares in the nominal capital. Moreover, the shareholders' meeting resolved to authorize the Managing Board to acquire own shares up to a maximum of ten per cent of the company's nominal capital. Should the Managing Board make use of this authorization, the shares would primarily be obtained for the Share Incentive Program for the Management of Raiffeisen International. * * * * * Raiffeisen International operates the largest banking network in CEE. 18 markets are covered by subsidiary banks, finance leasing companies and two representative offices. Approximately 12.5 million customers are attended to through more than 2,900 business outlets. Raiffeisen International is a fully consolidated subsidiary of Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich AG (RZB), which owns 70 per cent of the common stock. The remaining 30 per cent is free float, the shares are traded 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 (+43-1-717 07-1504, michael.palzer@ri.co.at) or Martin Schreiber (+43-1-71 707-1562, martin.schreiber@ri.co.at).
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