OREANDA-NEWS. June 26, 2008. "The Banker" decorated RZB Group for deals in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania. 
 
The renowned Financial Times magazine The Banker decorated RZB Group with four prestigious "Deal of the Year" awards. Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) won the award for Cyprus, Raiffeisen Centrobank (RCB) for Austria, Raiffeisen Investment (RIAG) earned it for Bulgaria, and Raiffeisen Capital & Investment (RCI) for Romania. 
 
"We are pleased by the jury’s decision. It is a neutral confirmation of our approach to be the best possible bank for our clients," said RZB's CEO Walter Rothensteiner. 
 
Deal of the year: Austria 
 
Raiffeisen Centrobank (RCB), RZB Group's equity house, Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank were joint bookrunners at STRABAG's initial public offering of EUR 1.35 billion. The deal was the largest IPO in the history of the Vienna Stock Exchange. The Banker stated, "STRABAG's initial public offering came amid volatile market conditions, but effective communication of the positive story around the sixth largest construction company in Europe ensured that the deal priced close to the top of the price range." 
 
Further awards for Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania 
 
Raiffeisen Investment (RIAG), RZB Group's corporate finance advisory firm, acted as the local financial advisor for the EUR 1.42 billion acquisition of Bulgarian Telecommunications by AIG Investments. NEF Telecom Bulgaria, a subsidiary of AIG, bought a 90per cent stake of BTC. "This is the largest deal ever undertaken in Bulgaria, and also the largest private equity buyout in the CEE region last year," The Banker said. 
 
Raiffeisen Zentralbank (RZB) won the award for the USD 235 million financing facility for Kombinat Aluminijuma Podgorica in Montenegro. RZB and BNP Paribas acted as co-ordinated mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners for this deal done in Cyprus. The Banker commented, "This facility is significant for a corporate borrower in Montenegro with the integrated aluminium complex, the largest industrial company in the country, accounting for almost one-third of Montenegro’s GDP." 
 
Raiffeisen Capital & Investment (RCI), RZB Group’s Romanian investment bank, was the sole lead manager and bookrunner for Transgaz’s EUR 65 million initial public offering, the Romanian government’s sale of the monopoly gas transportation company. "This deal, completed in December 2007, set high standards not just for size, but also for innovation and for its compressed timescale," The Banker stated.