A matter of responsibility

摘要

Austria may be small in terms of geographical expansion, but its economy belongs to the strongest and most successful in Europe. One of the most prominent examples to prove this point is OMV Aktiengesellschaft, the largest industrial enterpriselisted on the Vienna Stock Exchange. OMV is also one of the leading oil and gas groups in central and eastern Europe with international exploration and production activities as well as integrated operations in the plastics and chemicals processing sector. The group's prospects for the future are bright. In view of good results in 1996, the executive board felt confident that 1997 would see steady growth in share value, too. These expectations seem modest in comparison to the facts: results for the firstsix months of 1997 not only exceeded the comparable figure for 1996, they also showed a hefty increase in earnings and allowed for a substantial dividend increase. What could better illustrate the opinion of Kommerzialrat Dr. Richard Schenz, GeneralDirector and President of the Board, who feels that OMV shares are ,,valuable assets" for quite a number of reasons?!