BayWa AG successfully completes sale of stake in RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria, reducing liabilities by over €500 million

BayWa AG successfully completes sale of stake in RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria, reducing liabilities by over €500 million

(IN BRIEF) BayWa AG has completed the sale of its 47.53% stake in RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria AG (RWA AG), a move that reduces its bank liabilities by over €500 million. The transaction, worth €176 million, followed the necessary regulatory approvals and is a key component of BayWa’s ongoing transformation strategy, which includes optimizing operations, cutting costs, and divesting international assets. The sale will help strengthen BayWa’s liquidity and support its focus on core business areas. The transformation process is expected to be completed by 2028. RWA, a major player in agriculture, energy, and building materials in Austria and Eastern Europe, has been a strategic partner of BayWa since 1999.

(PRESS RELEASE) MUNICH, 7-May-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — BayWa AG has successfully concluded the sale of its 47.53% stake in RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Aktiengesellschaft (RWA AG), a transaction originally announced on 27 December 2024. The sale, which was contingent upon receiving regulatory approval from antitrust and investment control authorities in seven countries, is a significant step in BayWa’s ongoing operational transformation.

As a result of the sale, RWA eGen, an affiliate of RWA Raiffeisen Ware Austria Handel und Vermögensverwaltung eGen (RWA eGen), will take control of the shares. RWA eGen already holds 49.99% of RWA AG and also has a majority stake in Raiffeisen Agrar Invest AG (RAIG), one of BayWa’s two primary shareholders. The purchase price for the stake amounts to €176 million.

The sale is a crucial part of BayWa AG’s ongoing transformation strategy, which includes optimizing organizational structures, implementing cost-saving measures, and selling major international assets while maintaining a focus on its core business areas, such as Agriculture, Building Materials, Agricultural Equipment, Heating Energy, and Mobility. The funds generated by the sale will be reinvested into strengthening the company’s liquidity and bolstering its financial position. The company’s transformation is on track and is expected to be completed by 2028.

BayWa CEO, Dr. Frank Hiller, remarked: “This sale represents an important step forward in our restructuring process. We are continuing to focus on the business areas that are central to our strength. RAIG has been a dependable partner, and we value the ongoing collaboration with RWA, which has always been built on mutual trust.”

Michael Baur, BayWa’s Chief Restructuring Officer, added: “This sale marks a key milestone in our ongoing transformation, reducing BayWa Group’s bank liabilities by more than €500 million.”

RWA, a leading organization in Austria, operates as a producer, service provider, and retailer in the sectors of agriculture, technology, energy, building materials, and home & garden. As the umbrella organization for the Austrian Lagerhaus cooperatives, RWA offers a wide range of services across these sectors. The company also owns several subsidiaries and holdings across Austria and Eastern Europe and has maintained a strategic partnership with BayWa AG since 1999 through a cross-shareholding arrangement.

About BayWa AG

BayWa AG develops innovative and sustainable solutions for the basic needs of food, energy, mobility and housing. The company is headquartered in Munich and employs around 20,000 people. The parent company, founded in 1923, is headquartered in Munich. BayWa AG has its origins in co-operative agricultural trade with the task of supplying rural areas with everything that agriculture needs. Further information can be found at www.baywa.com/presse.

Media Contact:

Dr. Frank Herkenhoff
Leitung Corporate Communications
Tel.: +498992223680
Frank.Herkenhoff@baywa.de

SOURCE: BayWa AG