Erste Group
Erste Group Bank AG
Erste Group Bank AG is a Vienna-based universal bank and one of the largest financial groups in Central and Eastern Europe. Its Group Research unit is best known for CEE equity coverage and also publishes ratings on major US and European stocks.
Company history
Erste Group traces its origins to the Erste österreichische Spar-Casse, founded in Vienna in 1819. It listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange in 1997 and expanded into Central and Eastern Europe; the current holding company, Erste Group Bank AG, dates from 2008. In January 2026 it completed a roughly €7.0 billion deal for a 49% controlling stake in Santander Bank Polska, since renamed Erste Bank Polska, and a stake in its asset manager. Its main shareholder is the ERSTE Foundation.
- 1819Erste österreichische Spar-Casse founded in Vienna
- 1997Listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange
- 2008Erste Group Bank AG established
- 2026Acquired 49% controlling stake in Santander Bank Polska
Research
Group Research in Vienna and local units in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia and Romania cover macro, fixed income, credit and equities. More than 20 CEE equity analysts cover listed companies from Austria to Turkey as of 2026, and a global equities team analyses developed markets and globally significant companies. Ratings run Buy, Accumulate, Hold, Reduce and Sell, set by the gap to a 12-month target price: Buy above 20% upside, Sell more than 10% downside.
Coverage12M
- Stocks
- 6
- Ratings
- 8
- Price targets
- 0
- Upgrades
- 4
- Downgrades
- 4
- Initiations
- 0
- Reiterations
- 0
- Positive50%3
- Neutral50%3
- Negative0%0
Sectors
Ratings
Listing
Activity24M
Most covered24M
| Stock | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|
 METAMeta Platforms, Inc. | Hold | — |
 ABBVAbbVie Inc. | Buy | — |
 AVGOBroadcom Inc. | Hold | — |
 BCSBarclays PLC | Hold | — |
 CATCaterpillar Inc. | Buy | — |
 CRMSalesforce, Inc. | Buy | — |
 HSBCHSBC Holdings plc | Buy | — |
 ISRGIntuitive Surgical, Inc. | Buy | — |
 LINLinde plc | Hold | — |
 NVSNovartis AG | Hold | — |
Recent actions
| Stock | Rating action | Rating | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie Inc.ABBV | Upgrade | Hold →Buy | Aug 5 |
| Broadcom Inc.AVGO | Downgrade | Buy →Hold | Jul 7 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc.META | Downgrade | Buy →Hold | Apr 2 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc.META | Upgrade | Hold →Buy | Mar 5 |
| Barclays PLCBCS | Downgrade | Buy →Hold | Mar 5 |
| HSBC Holdings plcHSBC | Upgrade | Hold →Buy | Nov 20, 2025 |
| Meta Platforms, Inc.META | Downgrade | Buy →Hold | Nov 10, 2025 |
| Caterpillar Inc.CAT | Upgrade | Hold →Buy | Oct 3, 2025 |
| RYRoyal Bank of CanadaRY | Upgrade | Hold →Buy | Sep 22, 2025 |
| Salesforce, Inc.CRM | Upgrade | Hold →Buy | Nov 19, 2024 |
| Novartis AGNVS | Downgrade | Buy →Hold | Nov 19, 2024 |
| Intuitive Surgical, Inc.ISRG | Upgrade | Hold →Buy | Nov 19, 2024 |
Similar coverage12M
References
- About us - Erste Group Researcherstegroup.com
- Erste Group - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- Erste Group successfully completes acquisition of 49% controlling stake in Santander Bank Polska (2026)erstegroup.com
- Management Board | Erste Group Bank AGerstegroup.com
- Erste Group Research note with rating definitions (2026)gpw.pl