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Austria's RBI says Grizzly take on business contains wrong, misleading statements - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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Austria's RBI says Grizzly take on business contains wrong, misleading statements

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on September 17, 2026

1 min read

· Last updated: September 17, 2026

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Austria's RBI Responds to Grizzly Research Allegations on Russia Business

Overview of Grizzly Research's Claims and RBI's Response

Initial Review of Grizzly Research Comments

Sept 17 (Reuters) - Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International said on Thursday that it had seen a number of factually wrong and misleading statements in an initial review of comments by Grizzly Research on risks connected to RBI's Russia business.

RBI's Statement on Compliance Systems

"We stand by the strength of our compliance systems, which have been reviewed many times," the bank said after the short seller said it had taken a short position on RBI.

Details of Grizzly Research Allegations

Dependence on Russia Business

Grizzly Research said in a report that its findings point towards "a previously unknown dependence of RBI on its Russia business" and raise questions about RBI's role in circumventing sanctions that extends to Iran and North Korea.

RBI's Initial Response to Allegations

RBI initially declined to comment further on the Grizzly report.

Market Impact and Reporting

Share Price Reaction

The bank's shares were down 9% at 0745 GMT.

Report Contributors

(Reporting by Linda Pasquini, additional reporting by Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich, editing by Thomas Seythal, Kirsten Donovan)

Key Takeaways

  • RBI rejects Grizzly Research’s claims about sanction circumvention and over-dependence on Russia, affirming the robustness of its compliance framework.
  • The bank has been under sustained pressure from U.S. and European authorities over its Russian exposure, including a U.S. Treasury warning in May 2024 about potential restrictions on its dollar access (investing.com).
  • RBI has since been gradually reducing its Russian operations, responding to ECB demands for accelerated downsizing and exploring options to sell or spin off its Russian subsidiary (wienerborse.at).

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Grizzly Research claim about Raiffeisen Bank's Russia business?
Grizzly Research alleged a previously unknown dependence of RBI on its Russia business and questioned the bank's role in circumventing sanctions.
How did Raiffeisen Bank International respond to Grizzly's statements?
RBI stated that the comments contained factually wrong and misleading statements and defended the strength of its compliance systems.
What was the impact on RBI's stock following Grizzly's report?
After Grizzly Research took a short position and released its report, RBI's shares were down 9% at 0745 GMT.
Did RBI comment further on the Grizzly Research report?
RBI initially declined to comment further on the specifics of the Grizzly Research report.

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