2008 was a mixed year for Vienna Insurance Group shareholders. The share’s year-end closing price of EUR 24.12 represented a loss of more than 56%, which meant that the VIG share outperformed the ATX by around 5%. Nevertheless, this was the first time the VIG share has recorded a year-on-year price drop since the capital increase in 2005.
The VIG share was able to separate itself from the effects of international developments at the beginning of the year, reaching an all-time high of EUR 58.20 on 19 February 2008. The share then followed the market in a sideward movement, which is all the more remarkable since the capital increase implemented during this period had a diluting effect on equity of around 22%. When this is included in the calculation, the VIG share outperformed the ATX. Due to the escalation of the financial market crisis described above, the share fell to its low for the year of EUR 16.00 on 27 October 2008. The share gained considerably in value after that time, rising more than 50.0% by the end of the year and outperforming the ATX Index by 46.0% over the same period. Developments in the current year have also not been pleasant. Shares of Vienna Insurance Group experienced price setbacks in line with the international developments, and closed on 27 February 2009 at a price of EUR 17.71.