Wiener Boerse indexes to keep VTB, Sberbank
MOSCOW. Aug 12 (Interfax) - Wiener Boerse has decided to keep VTB and Sberbank of Russia stock in its indexes, the stock exchange company said in a statement.
Following a survey of investors that concluded on August 11 and concerned the status of Russian companies sanctioned by the U.S. and EU, Wiener Boerse's index committee decided that VTB and Sberbank would remain in the indexes of the Vienna Stock Exchange. In addition, if VTB or Sberbank announce a new issue of shares, the bank will be removed from the indexes no more than two days between the announcement and the implementation of the changes into the indexes. U.S. sanctions forbid investors from purchasing new shares of VTB, while EU sanctions extend to both VTB and Sberbank.
This is the second positive decision from international index companies concerning the status of VTB and Sberbank on their indexes. It was announced Saturday that MSCI decided to keep ordinary and preferred Sberbank shares, as well as ordinary VTB shares, on the MSCI Russia Index. The company said in a statement that following a poll on investors to determine how sanctions against the two banks could affect their activity, MSCI concluded that shares of the two companies could remain in the indexes for now. Investors said it was unlikely that the two banks would conduct a new issue of shares. VTB and Sberbank have both officially announced that they were not planning to do this.
