Over 8,000 bonds were issued in 2023 on the Vienna Stock exchange, breaking the previous record set in 2021 of 7,082.

Additionally, the Austrian stock exchanged saw the ESG segment rise to 100 listings for the first time.

The company said that high interest rates, persistent inflation and geopolitical instability had resulted in a high turnover of shares over the past few years but 2023 was less volatile.

The stock exchange estimates that share turnover hit €54.6 billion in 2023 with financial firm Erste Group Bank AG, the highest traded stock with turnover of €9.7 billion.

Christoph Boschan, chief executive of the Vienna Stock Exchange, said that while economic conditions had challenged companies and investors, there were pockets of success.

"The war-related caution of international – especially US – investors has affected the entire European stock market,” Boschan said. “Austrian companies have felt this disproportionately due to their pronounced business activities in the CEE region.

“However, this also presents an opportunity, as Central and Eastern Europe remains a reliable growth region from which Austria's leading companies will continue to benefit directly in the future.”

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