Wiener Börse AG
Austria’s principal securities exchange and a market-infrastructure provider for Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Wiener Börse AG is a privately run financial-market infrastructure provider that operates the Vienna and Prague exchanges and offers trading, listing, market-data, index and technology services.
Last updated October 16, 2026
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Overview
Wiener Börse AG, commonly known in English as the Vienna Stock Exchange, operates Austria’s main securities market from Vienna. Its business includes exchange trading, listings, market data, index calculation, and related infrastructure services. The exchange runs the regulated Official Market and the Vienna MTF, a multilateral trading facility designed for securities that do not use the full regulated-market framework, including many corporate bonds, smaller companies, and growth-oriented issuers. The institution traces its origins to 1771, when Empress Maria Theresa established a market for government bonds. The exchange was intended in part to bring more order to securities trading that had been taking place informally in coffeehouses. Over the following centuries it developed into a central venue for Austrian equities, bonds, and other financial instruments. Its history includes the severe market crash of 9 May 1873, known as the Gründerkrach or “Der Krach,” which helped mark the beginning of the Long Depression. A purpose-built exchange building on Vienna’s Ringstrasse was subsequently commissioned as part of efforts to restore confidence in the market. Wiener Börse’s leading equity benchmark is the Austrian Traded Index, or ATX. The index tracks major Austrian blue-chip companies and is reviewed periodically, with free-float market capitalization and trading activity among the principal selection considerations. The exchange also calculates and distributes indices for several other markets in the region, including benchmarks associated with Prague and other Central and Southeastern European markets. The exchange has expanded beyond the operation of its Vienna venue. It owns and operates the Prague Stock Exchange and has participated in regional exchanges, energy-market platforms, and clearing-related infrastructure. It also supplies market data and technical or operational services to partner markets. This regional role reflects Vienna’s position as a financial center connecting Austrian investors and issuers with neighboring European economies. Electronic trading became central to the exchange in November 1999, when securities trading moved to the Xetra system. In 2001, the exchange relocated to Palais Caprara-Geymüller. During the late 2000s it pursued a regional consolidation strategy, acquiring the Prague Stock Exchange and taking a majority stake in the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. Regulatory restrictions in Slovenia later led to the acquisition of the remaining Ljubljana shares, after which the Ljubljana exchange was sold to the Zagreb Stock Exchange in 2015. In 2019, Wiener Börse introduced the Vienna MTF as an additional exchange-regulated trading venue. In 2020, it made products denominated in Bitcoin and Ethereum available for listing and price dissemination, extending its product range into exchange-traded cryptocurrency-linked instruments. In 2023, it joined 13 other European exchanges in forming EuroCTP, a joint venture intended to develop a consolidated tape for European capital markets. Today, Wiener Börse combines a domestic exchange franchise with regional market infrastructure, index, data, and listing services.
History
Wiener Börse is one of the world’s oldest securities exchanges. It was established in Vienna in 1771 during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa, initially to create an organized market for government bonds. The institution also served a regulatory and market-ordering purpose: securities trading had been occurring informally in coffeehouses, and a formal exchange offered a more structured venue for transactions. The exchange became an important part of Vienna’s financial life as Austria’s government and private companies issued securities. Its development was not uninterrupted. On 9 May 1873, a major collapse at the Vienna exchange became known as “Der Krach.” The crash helped signal the beginning of the Long Depression, a period of prolonged economic weakness that affected markets across Europe and the United States. In the aftermath, a new exchange building was commissioned on the Ringstrasse. Designed by Theophil Hansen, the building formed part of wider efforts to rebuild market confidence and provide the exchange with a prominent institutional home. The modern exchange gradually broadened its role from a physical trading venue into a technology-enabled market operator. In November 1999, securities trading moved to the fully electronic Xetra system. This transition increased the importance of standardized electronic order handling and connected the Vienna market to a wider European trading infrastructure. In 2001, Wiener Börse moved to Palais Caprara-Geymüller, where the exchange’s institutional presence in Vienna continued. The exchange’s most significant strategic development in the twenty-first century was its regional expansion. In 2008, Wiener Börse agreed to acquire the Prague Stock Exchange and also purchased an 81 percent stake in the Ljubljana Stock Exchange. These transactions reflected an effort to create a Central and Southeastern European exchange network rather than operate solely as a national Austrian venue. The Slovenian acquisition later encountered a regulatory dispute. In 2010, the Slovenian market regulator, ATVP, restricted Wiener Börse’s voting rights. The matter reached the Slovenian Supreme Court, which upheld the regulator’s position. Wiener Börse subsequently acquired the remaining Ljubljana shares, but in 2015 sold the Ljubljana Stock Exchange to the Zagreb Stock Exchange. Wiener Börse’s domestic and regional responsibilities include the operation of markets, securities admission, market data, and index calculation. Its principal equity benchmark, the Austrian Traded Index, follows leading Austrian blue-chip shares. ATX composition is reviewed in March and September, with free-float capitalization and trading volume serving as important selection factors. The exchange also calculates and disseminates indices connected with other regional markets, reinforcing its role as an information provider as well as a trading venue. The exchange operates the regulated Official Market and the Vienna MTF. Admission to the Official Market requires compliance with the Austrian Stock Exchange Act and associated documentation, including a prospectus prepared under European prospectus rules and current audited financial statements. The Vienna MTF has a lighter admission framework and is used by various foreign corporate-bond issuers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and younger expanding companies. Instruments traded there remain subject to applicable European market-abuse requirements. In 2019, Wiener Börse opened the Vienna MTF. In 2020, it added products denominated in Bitcoin and Ethereum, making real-time prices available during normal exchange hours. In 2023, it joined EuroCTP, a joint venture with 13 other European exchanges intended to help create a consolidated tape for the European Union. These developments show the exchange combining traditional listing and trading functions with new asset formats, data services, and continent-wide market infrastructure initiatives.
- 2023
EuroCTP is formed
[1]Wiener Börse joins 13 other exchanges in a joint venture focused on developing a European consolidated tape.
- 2020
Cryptocurrency-denominated products are listed
[1]Products denominated in Bitcoin and Ethereum become available for listing and price dissemination.
- 2019
Vienna MTF launches
[1]The exchange opens an exchange-regulated multilateral trading facility for a broader range of issuers and instruments.
- 2015
Ljubljana holding is sold
[1]The Ljubljana Stock Exchange is sold to the Zagreb Stock Exchange.
- 2008
Regional exchange expansion
[1]Wiener Börse agrees to acquire the Prague Stock Exchange and purchases a majority stake in the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.
- 2001
Move to Palais Caprara-Geymüller
[1]The exchange relocates to Palais Caprara-Geymüller in Vienna.
- 1999
Electronic trading begins through Xetra
[1]Securities trading moves to the fully electronic Xetra trading system.
- 1873
The Vienna market crash
[1]The exchange experiences the crash known as “Der Krach” on 9 May, an event associated with the start of the Long Depression.
- 1842
Railway shares appear on the quotation list
- 1818
Oesterreichische Nationalbank becomes the first listed stock corporation
Products and positioning
Austria’s core exchange and a regional capital-markets infrastructure provider for Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. A privately run, profit-oriented provider of regional financial-market infrastructure, connecting exchange markets with trading, listing, data, index and technology services.
Equities
Equity market
The equity market provides trading and listing services for Austrian shares and selected international securities. Its best-known reference index is the Austrian Traded Index, which tracks leading Austrian blue-chip companies. ATX selection and review emphasize investable free-float capitalization and trading activity, making the index a widely used indicator of the Austrian share market.
Bonds
Fixed-income market
Wiener Börse operates a market for government and corporate bonds issued in Austria and abroad. The venue supports listing, trading, pricing, and dissemination of fixed-income information. Its bond offering is particularly relevant to issuers and investors seeking access to Central European capital markets.
Regulated market
Official Market
The Official Market is Wiener Börse’s principal regulated market. Issuers seeking admission must satisfy requirements under the Austrian Stock Exchange Act and provide documentation such as a compliant prospectus, current constitutional documents, and audited financial statements. The venue is intended for securities subject to the full regulated-market admission and continuing-obligation framework.
Multilateral trading facility · 2019
Vienna MTF
The Vienna MTF is an exchange-regulated multilateral trading facility introduced in 2019. It offers a comparatively accessible venue for foreign corporate-bond issuers, small and medium-sized enterprises, and younger growth companies. Its admission obligations are less extensive than those of the Official Market, while European market-abuse rules continue to apply.
Market index
ATX
The Austrian Traded Index is Wiener Börse’s leading equity index. It follows the price performance of major Austrian blue-chip companies in real time. The composition is reviewed in March and September and is principally influenced by free-float-adjusted market capitalization and trading volume.
Financial information services
Market data and indices
Beyond operating trading venues, Wiener Börse collects, calculates, and distributes market information. Its data and index services cover Austria and several neighboring European markets, supporting brokers, asset managers, issuers, financial-media organizations, and other market participants.
Exchange-traded products · 2020
Cryptocurrency-denominated exchange products
In 2020, Wiener Börse listed products denominated in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The initiative extended the exchange’s listed-product range into cryptocurrency-linked instruments while retaining exchange-based price publication and trading-hour conventions.
Vienna Stock Exchange
The exchange market associated with the company’s historical and current operations.
Prague exchange
The company says it brings together the Vienna and Prague exchange venues.
global market
An international share-trading offering; the homepage reports more than 1,000 international shares.
direct market plus
A market segment used for listings and trading, including the reported BIOGENA Good Vibes AG trading start.
Market data, indices and exchange IT services
The company distributes market data, calculates indices for regional markets and provides exchange technology services.
Brand decisions
2023
Participate in EuroCTPStrategyBackground
European capital-markets policy called for improved transparency and a consolidated view of trading information across venues.
Action taken
Wiener Börse joined 13 other exchanges in forming EuroCTP, a joint venture intended to develop a consolidated tape for the European Union.
Aftermath
The initiative positioned Wiener Börse within a broader exchange-industry effort to improve European market-data consolidation.
2020
Add cryptocurrency-denominated productsProduct launchBackground
Exchange operators were exploring ways to provide regulated-market access and price transparency for instruments linked to digital assets.
Action taken
Wiener Börse listed products denominated in Bitcoin and Ethereum and made real-time prices available during regular trading hours.
Aftermath
The move extended the exchange’s product range beyond conventional securities into cryptocurrency-linked exchange products.
2019
Launch the Vienna MTFProduct launchBackground
The exchange needed a venue that could accommodate issuers and instruments not suited to the full regulated-market admission process.
Action taken
Wiener Börse opened the Vienna MTF, an exchange-regulated multilateral trading facility.
Aftermath
The venue broadened the exchange’s offering for corporate bonds, smaller companies, and young growth businesses while retaining applicable European market-abuse obligations.
2008
Expand through Prague and LjubljanaM&ABackground
Wiener Börse sought to build a regional exchange network linking Austria with Central and Southeastern European markets.
Action taken
It agreed to acquire the Prague Stock Exchange and acquired an 81 percent stake in the Ljubljana Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
The Ljubljana investment later became subject to Slovenian regulatory restrictions and was ultimately sold to the Zagreb Stock Exchange in 2015.
- Majority investment in North Data GmbHOther
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