Hungary
COMMENT: Southeast Europe the growth star in CEE banking, but the profit pool is elsewhere
The core message for bankers and investors active in the CEE region should be: close to old records, potential for more but watch out for late cycle phenomena.
Hungarian and Czech super laser facilities to form consortium
Super laser research facilities in the two CEE countries will form a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), which is expected to start operating in January 2020.
4iG clinches mega deal to buy Magyar Telekom's IT subsidiary T-System
With the acquisition of Hungary’s leading ICT company, the company owned by businessmen close to the government gained control of yet another company operating in a strategic sector.
Central European economies decouple from Eurozone slowdown
Economists from wiiw have revised upwards their forecasts for Central and Southeast European economies as wage-driven growth has stopped them from following the eurozone into a slowdown.
ING: Hungary’s budget is looking extremely good
The Hungarian year-to-date general government deficit came in at HUF 390bn - only 39.1% of the full-year target, but we can't really say if this good performance is here to stay
Central, Eastern and Southeast European sovereigns to return to debt markets on large scale in 2020, Raiffeisen says
Governments of Central and Southeast Europe have already secured most of the funding they need for this year, but with more obligations maturing in 2020 they are expected to return to the markets on a large scale next year
Hungary’s largest online booking site acquires Czech peer
Hungarian booking website Szallas.hu acquired Czech-based Hotel.cz group to enter its fifth market outside of Hungary in line with its growth strategy.
Budapest Pride march ends peacefully as far-right protesters sealed off
For the first time pride participants were able to march without police cordons, while a group of counter protesters was kept away from the march by police.
Hungary's sluggish May retail sales surprise analysts
Slowing wage increases partially foreshadowed the drop, but analysts are still at a loss to explain whether the steep deceleration in retail sales growth is a blip or the start of a wider slowdown.
Rainbow flag flies over CEE, but attitudes to LGBT vary vastly
North Macedonia held its first ever gay pride march on June 29 with up to 1,000 people attending the event. There were pride marches in nearly all the CEE countries but the experience in each country is vastly different.
Hungarian government tightens grip on Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Lawmakers approved a controversial bill to take over the research network of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and place it under a government-run body, in yet another blow to academic freedom.
South Korean e-car battery maker to set up new plant in Hungary
Hungary wins yet another investment amidst stiff competition, bringing it one step closer to an annual HUF10 trillion in automotive industry production, he added.
Hungarian unemployment rate at 3.4%, lowest level since independence
The unemployment rate in Hungary fell to 3.4% in March-May, its lowest level since independence
E.ON offers its assets in Czechia, Hungary and Germany for sale to overcome EC concerns over Innogy
German energy company E.ON offered to sell several assets to overcome the concerns of the European Commission over its bid for competitor Innogy’s network and retail assets.
CEE states block EU ambitions to go carbon neutral by 2050
A group of Eastern European member states said no to a carbon neutrality goal without guarantees that the cost of reducing emissions is offset to lessen the impact of the transition on their economies.
Demographic “tipping point” imminent for CEE labour markets
The ‘tipping point’ at which labour demand will become equal to labour supply is just two years away in the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Poland, says a new study from wiiw.
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CEE monthly bond wrap: bond issues in CEE sharply down, Russia sharply up
Bond issues in Central and Eastern Europe in May were down steeply on previous years to a total of $3.1bn from six issues, but they were up in Russia and the CIS to $1.1bn from four issues, albeit from a low base.