Romania
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.
ExxonMobil reportedly plans to pull out of offshore gas project in Romania
ExxonMobil has invested some $700mn in the Neptun Deep project in the Romanian section of the Black Sea.
Four bidders expected for Kosovo’s Ipko
The planned sale of Telekom Slovenije’s Kosovan subsidiary Ipko is the latest move towards consolidation in the Balkan telecoms sector, Fitch Solutions writes.
Fastest shrinking EU states are from Southeast Europe and the Baltics
States across Central and Southeast Europe are experiencing a long-term population decline due to a combination of low birth rates and mass emigration.
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.
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
iHunt shares to start trading on Bucharest stock exchange on July 9
Shares in Chinese mobile phones importer iHunt will start trading on the alternative trading system of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) on July 9, following the company’s IPO, the BVB said in a statement.
Romania posted strong GDP growth of 5% in 1Q19
This is the highest annual growth rate in the past five quarters, defying projections of a slowdown in Romania's GDP growth.
Romania’s finance minister admits to €1.5bn budget hole
Bucharest scrambling to find ways to plug the gap and keep the budget deficit under 3% of GDP ahead of a mid-year budget revision expected on July 31.
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.
BRICKS & MORTAR: Romania, Poland top destinations for new retail parks in CEE
The retail park market is still in its infancy in CEE compared to Western Europe, says a report from Cushman & Wakefield, leaving plenty of room for catch-up growth, especially in smaller cities.
Continuity expected at the helm of Romania's central bank
All major political parties have swung behind Mugur Isarescu, who has headed the National Bank of Romania since 1990, despite recent clashes between government officials and the monetary authority.
Two Romanian telcos launch 5G services ahead of auction for dedicated bands
Vodafone Romania and local RCS & RDS to target major cities and seaside resorts with early rollout of 5G services using their existing frequency bands.
Romania’s opposition fails to overthrow government with no-confidence motion
Result will strengthen the position of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, who aims to lead the ruling Social Democratic Party after its former leader was sent to prison.
Romanian smartphone producer iHunt announces IPO plans
The company will use the money attracted to develop its electronic product range under the iHunt brand. It is also preparing to enter foreign markets this year.
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.
COMMENT: Romania reaches new historical levels of foreign debt
Amid the recent drama on Romania's political scene, nobody has paid any attention to a much more concerning trend: the fast increase of the Romanian foreign debt.