(Vienna) "The going public of Österreichische Post AG has attracted enormous attention from national and international investors in Wiener Börse, and has also sparked lively interest among Austrian private investors," stated Michael Buhl, Member of the Management Board of Wiener Börse AG at the press conference on the first day of trading in the stocks of Österreichische Post AG. Michael Buhl believes that the listing of Österreichische Post AG "is a true enhancement for Wiener Börse".
The going public of Österreichische Post AG triggered high demand among domestic and foreign investors. This is even more amazing considering that the capital market posted some major losses during the offer period. The 31.5 million shares offered by Österreichische Post AG (exclusive of the greenshoe option) met with total demand of some for 255 million shares. This means that the first issue was eight times oversubscribed. One-third of the offering was placed with Austrian investors.
"At 21 events held throughout Austria for private investors, we presented our company to over 6,000 guests. At the same time, we covered 12 cities in over 13 days on an international roadshow. More than 200 talks with investors were held. Apart from the high international response, I am particularly pleased about the great interest shown by our employees, without whom a successful IPO would not have been possible," stressed Anton Wais, CEO of Österreichische Post AG.
Capital Market as Driving Force of Economic Growth
"The overwhelming interest of investors is founded not only on the investment story of Österreichische Post AG, but, of course, also on the confidence in the stock market of Vienna," said Heinz Grasser, Federal Minister of Finance. A strong capital market is important for every business location: According to a study by the Institute for Advanced Studies, a fivefold increase in trading volumes would create additional economic growth of 0.4% and create 21,000 more jobs stressed the Minister of Finance.
"The success of the transaction confirms very impressively that the decision to take the Austrian postal services public was the right one. The going public is a clear commitment to the independence of the company. The high demand confirms the appeal of the Austrian capital market – even in turbulent times – and proves the strong confidence that investors have in the privatizations of the ÖIAG. Around half of the market capitalization of domestic stocks on the prime market of Wiener Börse is from companies that were formerly part of the public sector," said Peter Michaelis, Member of the Management Board of Österreichische Industrieholding AG.