Centro Studi Europa dell’Est - notiziario del 12.03.2008 - powered by www.seenews.com

NOTIZIARIO DEL 12.03.2008

* ALBANIA *

Albanian Banks’ End-2007 Credit Portfolio Rises 50% - Table Mar 12, 2008, 10:12 CET | Story | SeeNews TIRANA (Albania), March 12 (SeeNews) - The credit portfolio of commercial banks in Albania at the end of 2007 totalled 287.6 billion leks ($3.53 billion/2.3 billion euro), up by 50% from a year earlier, the country’s central bank said on Wednesday. link

Albanian Banks’ End-2007 Deposit Portfolio Rises by 10% to 348 Bln Leks (2.8 Bln Euro) Mar 12, 2008, 10:24 CET | Story | SeeNews TIRANA (Albania), March 12 (SeeNews) - The deposit portfolio of commercial banks operating in Albania reached 348.014 billion Albanian leks ($4.3 billion/2.8 billion euro) at the end of 2007, up by 10.6% from a year earlier, the central bank said on Wednesday. link

U.S. Refinery Associates of Texas Interested in Buying Albania’s Oil Refinery ARMO Mar 12, 2008, 12:10 CET | Story | SeeNews TIRANA (Albania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Albania said on Wednesday that the U.S Refinery Associates of Texas has shown interest in the privatisation of state-owned oil refinery and distributor ARMO. link

Albania’s End-2007 M3 Money Supply Rises 6.2% - Table Mar 12, 2008, 09:50 CET | Story | SeeNews TIRANA (Albania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Albania’s M3 broad money supply totalled 716.2 billion leks ($8.8 billion/5.7 billion euro) at the end of December, up by 6.2% on the year, central bank statistics indicated on Wednesday. link

Yields Fall on Albania’s 3-mo, 12-mo T-Bills, Rise on 6-mo T-Bills Mar 12, 2008, 11:36 CET | Story | SeeNews TIRANA (Albania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Albania sold 14.1 billion leks ($173 million/112 million euro) in three Treasury bill issues at an auction on Tuesday as yields on three-month and 12-month bills fell while those on the six-month bills rose, the central bank said on Wednesday. link

Albania To Auction 3.0 Bln Leks (23 Mln Euro) of 3-Mo T-bills on Tuesday Mar 12, 2008, 15:08 CET | Story | SeeNews TIRANA (Albania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Albania’s central bank will auction 3.0 billion leks ($37 million/23 million euro) in three-month Treasury bills on Tuesday, the bank said on Wednesday. link

* BOSNIA *

Bosnian Construction Firm Hidrogradnja Raises 2007 Net Profit by 33% - Table Mar 12, 2008, 10:21 CET | Story | SeeNews SARAJEVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina), March 12 (SeeNews) – One of Bosnia’s largest construction firms, state-controlled Hidrogradnja, on Wednesday posted a 33% rise in its 2007 net profit to some 182,000 marka ($143,000/93,000 euro). link

Bosnian Utility Elektroprivreda HZ HB 2007 Loss Rises More than Six Times - Table Mar 12, 2008, 11:44 CET | Story | SeeNews SARAJEVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bosnian state-controlled power utility Elektroprivreda HZ HB said on Wednesday its 2007 loss increased more than six times to 59.3 million marka ($46.5 million/30.3 million euro). link

Bosnian Insurers Triglav BH, Bosna Reosiguranje Raise Stake in Real Estate Manager Sarajevostan Mar 12, 2008, 14:16 CET | Story | SeeNews SARAJEVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bosnian insurer Triglav BH and re-insurer Bosna Reosiguranje said on Wednesday they have raised their combined stake in local real estate manager Sarajevostan to 67.35% from 66.09% after a buyout bid launched last month. link

Bosnia’s Serb Republic Sells Publishing Co Glas Srpske to Domestic Consortium Mar 12, 2008, 14:44 CET | Story | SeeNews BANJA LUKA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bosnia’s Serb Republic has signed a contract for the sale to a domestic consortium of a package of stakes it owns in publishing company Glas Srpske and its two affiliates dealing in printing and distribution, the bank servicing the deal said on Wednesday. link

Henkel Croatia Says ’07 Sales in Croatia, Bosnia Up 21% to 57.4 Mln Euro Mar 12, 2008, 18:09 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) – Henkel Croatia, the Croatian subsidiary of German consumer products group Henkel, in charge of both Croatian and Bosnian markets, reported on Wednesday a 21% rise in sales last year, to a combined 57.4 million euro ($89 million) thanks to growth in all business segments. link

Italian Shoe Maker Olip Opens Factory in Bosnia Mar 12, 2008, 18:30 CET | Story | AII Data Processing Ltd Italian shoe maker Olip Italia Spa has opened a factory in Bosnia, investing more than 10 mln Bosnian marka ($7.8 mln/5.1 mln euro), media reports showed. link

Bosnian Niskogradnja Restarts Wood Processing Co Nova Dipo Mar 12, 2008, 18:36 CET | Story | AII Data Processing Ltd Niskogradnja, one of Bosnia’s largest construction companies, has restarted a wood processing company, called Nova Dipo, as part of a larger effort to consolidate local wood industry, media reports showed. link

Bosnia Serb Republic Jan Industrial Output Up 4.8% Y/Y - Table Mar 12, 2008, 13:41 CET | Story | SeeNews BANJA LUKA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), March 12 (SeeNews) - The industrial production of Bosnia’s Serb Republic in January rose by 4.8% on the year but was 19.2% lower than in December, the Republic’s Statistics Office said on Wednesday. link

Bosnia Schedule of Events - March 12 - May 9 Mar 12, 2008, 09:30 CET | Story | SeeNews SARAJEVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in or related to Bosnia and Herzegovina through May 9. New or amended entries are marked (*). link

* BULGARIA *

BSE - Daily Bulletin, Selected Announcements - Mar 11, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 08:44 CET | Specialists Reports | SeeNews BSE-Sofia has received an application for listing of an issue of shares on the Unofficial Market of Equities, "A" Segment, as follows:- Issuer: Globex Estate Fund REIT-Sofia- ISIN: BG1100029070- Amount of the issue: BGN 650,000- Nominal value per share: BGN 1.00- BSE code: GLOBEX link

Estonian-owned Arco Invest Sells Sofia Property to Maltese-owned Cleves for 8.1 Mln Euro Mar 12, 2008, 12:56 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) – Bulgarian-based Arco Invest, a unit of Estonian real estate company Arco Vara, will sell part of a residential development in Sofia to Maltese-owned Cleves for 8.1 million euro ($12.5 million), Arco Vara said on Wednesday. link

Dutch-based Wild Mountain Plans To Acquire Two Bulgarian Cable TV/Internet Providers – Bulgarian Regulator Mar 12, 2008, 13:15 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) – Dutch company Wild Mountain Holding is seeking to acquire indirectly full control of Bulgarian telecoms services, cable TV and internet providers Cabletel and Vicom Bulgaria for an undisclosed sum, Bulgaria’s competition regulator said on Wednesday. link

Bulgarian Vegetable Oil Producer Biser Oliva To Seek up to 7.3 Mln Euro in IPO Mar 12, 2008, 15:12 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian vegetable oil producer Biser Oliva will seek up to 14.3 million levs ($11.3 million/7.3 million euro) in an initial public offering (IPO) on the Sofia stock exchange, the country’s financial watchdog said on Wednesday. link

Bulgarian Drug Market Grows 11.8% in ’07, Seen Expanding up to 9.0% in ’08 Mar 12, 2008, 16:18 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria’s drug market grew by 11.8% in value in 2007 driven by a 12.5% rise in sales in pharmacies, and is seen expanding by up to 9.0% this year, data of global healthcare information company IMS Health showed on Wednesday. link

Maltese Cleves Buys 45 Flats in Sofia for 8.1 Mln Euro Mar 12, 2008, 18:15 CET | Story | AII Data Processing Ltd Maltese company Cleves will buy off-plan a pack of 45 flats and 60 parking slots in the Bulgarian capital Sofia for 8.1 mln euro ($12.5 mln), the company said on March 11, 2008. link

Bulgaria’s Jan-Feb New Car Sales Rise 27.8% Y/Y - Table Mar 12, 2008, 18:17 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian car dealers sold 8,605 new cars in the first two months of 2008, up 27.8% on the year, the country’s car importers union, UIAB, said on Wednesday. link

Bulgarian Media Watchdog Scraps Competition for Analogue TV Frequencies Mar 12, 2008, 18:20 CET | Story | AII Data Processing Ltd Bulgaria’s Council for Electronic Media (CEM) cancelled on March 11, 2008 the competitions for analogue TV frequencies in Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna thus allowing operators with temporary licences to continue broadcasting. link

Chimimport gains entry to coastal airport concession Mar 12, 2008, 18:27 CET | Story | Dnevnik Chimimport, the nation’s biggest business conglomerate, is poised to become part owner of the Varna and Burgas airport concession, gaining a foothold in yet another sector of the Bulgarian economy. Silk producer Dunavska Koprina dumps core business Mar 12, 2008, 18:31 CET | Story | Dnevnik Dunavska Koprina said it is looking for a company to take over its silk production business. The moulinage unit of the company is currently operating below its designed capacity due to weak demand, said CFO Petko Kostadinov. [link->http://seenews.com/news/latestnews/silkproducerdunavskakoprinadumpscorebusiness-183132" class="spip_out">link

BULGARIA’S FEB CPI AT +1.1 M/M, +13.2 Y/Y VS +1.4 M/M, +12.5 Y/Y IN JAN - STATS OFFICE Mar 12, 2008, 10:30 CET | Alert | SeeNews link

BULGARIA’S FEB EU-HARMONISED CPI AT +1.0% M/M, +12.2 Y/Y VS REVISED +1.5% M/M, +11.7% Y/Y IN JAN - STATS OFFICE Mar 12, 2008, 10:33 CET | Alert | SeeNews link

CORRECTED - BULGARIA’S FEB CPI AT +1.1% M/M, +13.2% Y/Y VS +1.4% M/M, +12.5% Y/Y IN JAN - STATS OFFICE (ADDS % SYMBOL) Mar 12, 2008, 10:44 CET | Alert | SeeNews link

Bulgaria’s Feb Consumer Price Inflation Slows to 1.1% M/M - Table Mar 12, 2008, 10:49 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria’s consumer prices rose by 1.1% month-on-month in February, compared to a monthly rise by 1.4% in January, the National Statistics Institute (NSI) said on Wednesday. link

UPDATE 1 - Bulgaria’s Feb Consumer Price Inflation Slows to 1.1% M/M Mar 12, 2008, 11:27 CET | Story | SeeNews (adds details) link

Bulgaria To Outsource Auditing of EU-funded Projects To Ensure Higher Transparency Mar 12, 2008, 18:09 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria will outsource the auditing of projects seeking financing from the European Union to ensure greater transparency after the bloc suspended funding to the EU newcomer under several programmes over suspected fraud, Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski said on Wednesday. link

KD Securities - Sofia Stock Exchange Weekly Report - Mar 4 - 7, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:39 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews 1. SOFIA STOCK EXCHANGE EVOLUTION Elana - Bulgaria Daily Report - Mar 11, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:55 CET | Broker's Report | SeeNews MARKET HIGHLIGHTS [link->http://seenews.com/news/latestnews/elana-bulgariadailyreport-mar11_2008-090736" class="spip_out">link

Bulgarian Stock Indices End Mixed as Sentiment Improves on Global Rises Mar 12, 2008, 14:35 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) – Bulgarian stock indices, which have been mostly falling lately, closed mixed on Wednesday as rises on global markets backed a more optimistic sentiment, brokers said. link

Bulgaria Schedule of Events - March 12 - Nov 25 Mar 12, 2008, 08:56 CET | Story | SeeNews SOFIA (Bulgaria), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in or related to Bulgaria through November 25. New or amended entries are marked (*). link

STS Finance - Daily FX Analysis - Mar 12, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:15 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews New liquidity plan from FED support the Dollar – 12th of March, 2008The dollar rose sharply on Tuesday against the major currencies after the Federal Reserve announced new measures to inject liquidity into the financial system, reducing concern about a deepening credit crisis and a US recession. The dollar jumped against the yen and registered its biggest daily gain in three months after the Fed said it would lend bank system up to 200 billion dollars. According to analysts, anything which the Fed does to fight the credit crisis will support the US dollar. Bank of England and Bank of Canada joined the Fed, ECB, and SNB in providing additional liquidity measures. Following the announcement, the markets scaled back their expectations concerning the likelihood of a 75bps easing by the FOMC on 18 March. The most likely scenario now involves a 50-bps reduction in the federal funds target rate. Data released in the US saw the January trade balance print at – 58.2 billion dollar s, better then – 59.8 billion dollars which were expected. In eurozone news, the European Central Bank announced it will again provide US dollar liquidity in support of the Fed’s announcement. The common currency earlier rocketed to fresh lifetime highs after it was announced that Germany’s ZEW economic expectations index climbed to -32.0 in March from February’s -39.5 level. link

* CROAZIA *

Croatian Toys Distributor One2play Raises 2007 Revenue by 53%, Sees Further Rise in Net Profit Mar 11, 2008, 18:56 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 11 (SeeNews) – Croatian toys distributor One2play said on Tuesday it raised its revenue by 53% to 79 million kuna ($17 million/11 million euro) last year and expects a further growth this year, as well as a rise in its net profit in 2008 and 2009 due to network expansion. link

Croatia’s Istraturist To Retain 2007 Profit Mar 12, 2008, 14:54 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Croatian hotel operator Istraturist on Wednesday said it will retain its 2007 after-tax profit of 32.22 million kuna ($6.9 million/4.4 million euro). link

Croatian Systems Integrator Combis Sees 2008 Revenue Up 5.0% after Strong Results in 2007 Mar 12, 2008, 15:49 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) – Leading Croatian systems integrator Combis expects its revenue to grow by a further 5.0% this year after its pre-tax profit and revenue both rose last year, the company said on Wednesday. link

Henkel Croatia Says ’07 Sales in Croatia, Bosnia Up 21% to 57.4 Mln Euro Mar 12, 2008, 18:09 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) – Henkel Croatia, the Croatian subsidiary of German consumer products group Henkel, in charge of both Croatian and Bosnian markets, reported on Wednesday a 21% rise in sales last year, to a combined 57.4 million euro ($89 million) thanks to growth in all business segments. link

Top Insurer Croatia Osiguranje Jan-Feb Premium Income Up 12.9% Y/Y Mar 12, 2008, 18:11 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Croatia’s top insurer, majority state-owned Croatia Osiguranje, said on Wednesday its premium income was 678 million kuna ($145 million/93 million euro) in the first two months of 2008, up 12.9% on the year. link

Croatia’s Jan Retail Sales Fall Real 21% M/M - Table Mar 12, 2008, 11:28 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Croatia’s January retail sales fell by a real 21.1% month-on-month, after rising by a monthly 11.7% in December, the State Statistics Bureau said on Wednesday. link

FIMA Stock Monitor - Daily - Mar 11, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 08:52 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews Daily comment: link

Erste Securities - Croatian Equity Daily - Mar 12, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:55 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews Highlights: link

Croatia Schedule of Events – Mar 12 – May 17 Mar 12, 2008, 09:13 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in or related to Croatia through May 17. New or amended entries are marked (*). link

Croatian C-Bank Approves Less Than Half of Bids in Revrepo Auction, Weighted Rate Rises Mar 12, 2008, 12:34 CET | Story | SeeNews ZAGREB (Croatia), March 12 (SeeNews) - The Croatian central bank on Wednesday approved bids for Treasury bills worth 955 million kuna ($203 million/ 131.4million euro) out of the 2.200 billion kuna worth of bids placed in its reverse repo auction, as the weighted repo rate rose. link

* MACEDONIA *

Macedonia Receives 9 Bids for Electricity Imports Mar 12, 2008, 18:25 CET | Story | AII Data Processing Ltd Macedonia has received nine valid bids for imports of electricity over the period March 16 to December 12, 2008, said a statement by Macedonia’s state-owned electricity transmission company MEPSO. link

Macedonia Schedule of Events - March 12 - Nov 28 Mar 12, 2008, 10:25 CET | Story | SeeNews SKOPJE (Macedonia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in, or related to Macedonia through November 28. New or amended entries are marked (*). link

* MOLDOVA *

Moldovan Car Dealer Nistru-Lada More than Doubles Net Profit in 2007 - Table Mar 12, 2008, 11:30 CET | Story | SeeNews CHISINAU (Moldova), March 12 (SeeNews) - Nistru-Lada, the official distributor of Russian car maker AvtoVaz in Moldova, more than doubled its net profit last year to 3.6 million lei ($338,300/219,200 euro), the company said on Wednesday. link

Moldovan Power Distributor RED Nord-Vest 2007 Net Profit Surges to 11.6 Mln Lei (Euro) - Table Mar 12, 2008, 13:56 CET | Story | SeeNews CHISINAU (Moldova), March 12 (SeeNews) - The net profit of Moldovan state-owned electricity distribution company RED Nord-Vest surged to 11.6 million lei ($1.1 million/704,400 euro) last year from 33,000 lei in 2006, the company said on Wednesday. link

RPT - Moldovan Power Distributor RED Nord-Vest 2007 Net Profit Surges to 11.6 Mln Lei (704,400 Euro) - Table Mar 12, 2008, 14:09 CET | Story | SeeNews (Repeats to restore dropped figure for euro conversion rate in headline) link

UPDATE 1 - Moldovan Power Distributor RED Nord-Vest 2007 Net Profit Surges to 11.6 Mln Lei (704,400 Euro) on Higher Sales Mar 12, 2008, 14:50 CET | Story | SeeNews (adds quotes, background) link

MOLDOVA’S FEBRUARY CPI +1.5% M/M, UNCHANGED FROM JANUARY - STATS OFFICE Mar 12, 2008, 10:36 CET | Alert | SeeNews link

Moldova’s February CPI at +1.5% M/M, +14.9% Y/Y - Table Mar 12, 2008, 10:54 CET | Story | SeeNews CHISINAU (Moldova), March 12 (SeeNews) - Moldova’s consumer prices inflation was 1.5% month-on-month in February, the same as a month earlier, the country’s statistics office said on Wednesday. link

UPDATE 1 – Moldova’s February CPI at +1.5% M/M, +14.9% Y/Y Mar 12, 2008, 12:28 CET | Story | SeeNews (adds details, background) link

Moldova Sells 11.03 Mln Lei (670,000 Euro) in 2-yr T-Notes Mar 12, 2008, 15:00 CET | Story | SeeNews CHISINAU (Moldova), March 12 (SeeNews) - Moldova’s central bank, BNM, on Wednesday sold 11.03 million lei ($1.0 million/670,000 euro) worth of two-year Treasury notes, below its target of 12 million lei, BNM said. link

Moldova Schedule of Events - March 12 - May 15 Mar 12, 2008, 10:15 CET | Story | SeeNews CHISINAU (Moldova), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in, or related to Moldova through May 15. New or amended entries are marked (*) link

* MONTENEGRO *

MOODY’S SAYS ISSUES FIRST-EVER RATINGS FOR MONTENEGRO Mar 12, 2008, 10:40 CET | Alert | SeeNews link

Moody’s Issues First-ever Ratings for Montenegro Mar 12, 2008, 10:57 CET | Story | SeeNews PODGORICA (Montenegro), March 12 (SeeNews) - International credit rating agency Moody’s said on Wednesday it has assigned its first ever sovereign ratings to Montenegro. link

UPDATE 1 - Moody’s Issues First-ever Ratings for Montenegro Mar 12, 2008, 12:39 CET | Story | SeeNews (adds details, quotes) link

Montenegro Schedule of Events - March 12 - May 15 Mar 12, 2008, 09:21 CET | Story | SeeNews PODGORICA (Montenegro), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in, or related to, Montenegro through May 15. New or amended entries are marked (*). link

* ROMANIA *

Romanian Investment Fund STK Emergent ’s IPO 43% Subscribed Mar 11, 2008, 19:08 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 11 (SeeNews) - Investors have subscribed some 43% of the shares in the initial public offering (IPO) of 25% of the capital of Romanian closed investment fund STK Emergent, the IPO’s intermediary, STK Trading, said on Tuesday. link

Raiffeisen Capital & Investment - Flash News: STK Emergent IPO results - Mar 12, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:19 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews STK Emergent IPO resultsThe Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the closed-end investment fund STK Emergent has ended on Monday, March 10. We remind that STK Emergent, administered by STK Financial, underwent an IPO for some 178,000 units at RON 281 per unit between February 19 and March 10, 2008. According to data released by the company, investors subscribed some 76,000 units meaning 43% of the offered units. STK Emergent managed to raise RON 21.4 mn (EUR 5.8 mn) through the offering. link

Intl Industrial Services Firm Harsco Buys Its Romanian Distributor Baviera Mar 12, 2008, 13:06 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - International industrial services company Harsco said it has acquired Romanian company Baviera, the exclusive distributor in the country for the products of its Hunnebeck division, for an undisclosed sum. link

ING’s Romanian Life Insurance Arm Sees ’08 Gross Profit Up 61%, Gross Premium Income Up 22% Mar 12, 2008, 13:22 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Romanian life insurer ING Asigurari de Viata said on Wednesday it targets a 61% rise in its gross profit this year to 50 million lei ($21 million/13.6 million euro) and a 22% increase in its gross premium income. link

Romania’s Government Calls Local Elections for June 1 Mar 12, 2008, 14:20 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Romania’s government on Wednesday called local elections for June 1, Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said. link

Romanian Power Plant Electrocentrale Bucuresti Borrows 237 Mln Lei (64.3 Mln Euro) To Buy Fuel Mar 12, 2008, 14:26 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Romanian state-owned electricity and heating energy producer Electrocentrale Bucuresti is borrowing 237 million lei ($98.9 million /64.3 million euro) to buy fuel for its operations, it said on Wednesday. link

ROMANIA’S ANTIBIOTICE PLANS TO PAY 0.027 LEI (0.0073 EURO) PER SHARE IN 2007 GROSS DIVIDEND VS 0.0222 LEI FOR 2006 Mar 12, 2008, 17:50 CET | Alert | SeeNews link

Romania’s Antibiotice Plans To Pay 21.6% Higher Gross Dividend for 2007 Mar 12, 2008, 18:11 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Majority state-owned Romanian drug maker Antibiotice on Wednesday proposed to pay a gross dividend of 0.027 lei ($0.0113 /0.0073 euro) per share for 2007, compared to 0.0222 lei in gross dividend it paid for the previous year. link

Finnish Nokia Rejects NRW Subsidy Repayment Demands Mar 12, 2008, 18:23 CET | Story | AII Data Processing Ltd Finnish mobile phone manufacturer Nokia dismissed on March 11, 2008 the claim of the government of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) that the company must return 60 mln euro ($92.23 mln) in state subsidies plus interest as unfounded, Die Welt reported. link

Construction, Services Boost Romania’s 2007 GDP Growth Mar 12, 2008, 11:06 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - The construction industry and services were the main engine behind the growth of Romania’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2007, figures of the country’s statistics office (INS) indicated on Wednesday. link

Romanian National Trade Register Office - Records in Central Trade Register, Dec 2007 Mar 12, 2008, 14:33 CET | State Agencies Reports | SeeNews The Romanian National Trade Register Office has released its monthly statistics on the number of companies registered in the country by counties, type of activity, sources of capital and category. link

UPDATE 1 - Construction, Services Boost Romania’s 2007 GDP Growth Mar 12, 2008, 16:15 CET | Story | SeeNews (adds details) ROMANIA'S FEB JOBLESS RATE FLAT M/M AT 4.3% - GOVT EMPLOYMENT OFFICE Mar 12, 2008, 08:55 CET | Alert | SeeNews [link->http://seenews.com/news/latestnews/romania_sfebjoblessrateflatat4_3_-govtemploymentoffice-084734" class="spip_out">link

Romania’s Feb Jobless Rate Flat M/M at 4.3% - Table Mar 12, 2008, 09:10 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) – Romania’s unemployment rate was 4.3% in February, unchanged from the previous month, the government’s employment agency, ANOFM, said on Wednesday. link

Romanian Labour Ministry - Unemployment, Dec 2007 Mar 12, 2008, 13:16 CET | State Agencies Reports | SeeNews Romania’s Ministry of Labor, Social Solidarity and Family has released the December 2007 issue of its monthy report on unemployment. link

Romanian Labour Ministry - Unemployment by Educational Level, Dec 2007 Mar 12, 2008, 13:24 CET | State Agencies Reports | SeeNews Romania’s Ministry of Labour, Social Solidarity and Family has released its monthly report on unemployment by educational level for December 2007. link

Romanian Labour Ministry - Average Salary Earning, Dec 2007 Mar 12, 2008, 13:36 CET | State Agencies Reports | SeeNews Romania’s Ministry of Labor, Social Solidarity and Family has released its monthly report on average salary earning for November 2007. link

Ieba Trust - Foreign Investments on Romanian Capital Market - Jan 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 14:53 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews In January, net outflows of RON 129.20 Mn (EUR 34.98 Mn) have been recorded. In the first month of 2008, the value of the foreign inflows accounted for RON 121.15 Mn (EUR 34.96 Mn), down 27.4% as compared to the lowest value of the foreign inflows registered in 2007, namely RON 161.06 Mn (EUR 48.13 Mn). In the same time, the outflows amounted to RON 258.32 Mn (EUR 69.95 Mn), down 20.29% YOY. Thus, the value of the net foreign outflows amounted to RON 129.20 Mn (EUR 34.98 Mn), which is very close to the maximum of 2007, registered in August. The sales accounted for RON 467.31 Mn (EUR 126.54 Mn), almost double compared to the value of the purchases that accounted for RON 273.52 Mn (EUR 74.06 Mn). Consequently, the net sales amounted to RON 193.78 Mn (EUR 52.48 Mn), 1.84 times higher than the highest value of the net sales registered in 2007. This month no trades with bonds took place. link

Ieba Trust - Romanian Market Daily - Mar 11, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 09:03 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews The lowest daily turnover of the last 12 months link

Raiffeisen Capital & Investment - Investment Daily Romania - Mar 11, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:55 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews WatchlistContor Group IPO will end tomorrow, March 13.Trader’s CommentOn Tuesday, the Bucharest stock exchange continued to be affected by the lack of buyers, even though liquidity rose slightly, the trading volume exceeding EUR 7 mn. The session started with small rises as the European markets were on an ascending trend, while during the second part of the day prices fell, all indices posting losses at closing.It is worth mentioning that during this period investors are not panicking so easily anymore, showing increased cautiousness at sale. We often mention the lack of buyers, but this is matched by a comparable lack of sellers, hence the current apathy and low liquidity. In the newsRomania trade deficit up 2.8% yoy in JanuaryAccording to data released yesterday by the National Statistics Institute (INSSE), Romania’s January trade deficit widened by 2.8% yoy to EUR 1.4 bn. January was the second month of weakening imports growth. In 2007 the trade deficit amounted to EUR 21.5 bn , which fuelled a ballooning external shortfall, the country’s main economic headache and has deteriorated sharply since Romania joined the EU in 2007.The National Statistics Board said CIF (cost/insurance/freight) imports climbed 11.3% yoy to EUR 3.8 bn, while exports were up 16.9% to EUR 2.4 bn. Romania inflation rises to 8% in FebruaryRomania’s annual inflation rose to 8% in February, from 7.3% in the previous month. Prices rose 0.7% on the month in February, with non-food prices recording the steepest rise at 1.1 %. Food prices rose 0.4%, while services were 0.5% up. The central bank (BNR) forecasts December inflation at 5.9%, well above this year’s 2.8-4.8% target range. BNR expects price growth to peak in March at 8.3%.BT Aegon to acquired OTP pension fundAccording to media sources, Banca Transilvania’s (TLV) pension fund BT Aegon has reached an agreement with OTP Bank to acquire the latter’s mandatory pension fund. Through this transaction BT Aegon will take ove r OTP Pension Fund client portfolio, which includes around 20,000 ticipants. BT Aegon will increase the number of its clients to some 151,000 from 131,000, thus its market share will reach 3.7% from 3.2%. The value of the transaction is estimated at EUR 3 mn. SIF Oltenia increases stake in ArgusSIF Oltenia (SIF5) announced that on Tuesday(March 11) it further increased its stake in vegetable oil producer Aurgus (UARG) by a 2.7% stake. The transaction took place at RON 1.92 per share and amounted to RON 1.9 mn (EUR 0.5 mn). SIF5 increased its ownership in Argus to 17.9% from 14.2%. link

Romanian Stocks Rise After U.S. Market Rally, Turnover more than Triples Mar 12, 2008, 16:46 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Romanian share indices closed higher on Wednesday in more than triple turnover following a rally on the U.S. stock market on Tuesday, brokers said. link

Romania Schedule of Events - March 12 - May 15 Mar 12, 2008, 08:57 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in or related to Romania through May 15. New or amended entries are marked (*). link

Romanian Leu Ends Ends Flat vs Euro Mar 12, 2008, 16:43 CET | Story | SeeNews BUCHAREST (Romania), March 12 (SeeNews) - The Romanian leu ended flat against the euro on Wednesday at 3.6870/6910 amid medium-sized volumes and rather calm trade, dealers said. link

* SERBIA *

China’s FAW Shows Interest in Privatisation of Serbian Car Maker Zastava, Truck and Bus Producer FAP Mar 12, 2008, 18:26 CET | Story | SeeNews BELGRADE (Serbia), March 12 (SeeNews) – China’s major automotive group FAW has shown interest in the privatisation of Serbia’s car manufacturer Zastava and truck and bus producer Fabrika Autobusa Priboj (FAP), Serbia’s economy ministry said on Wednesday. link

SERBIA’S FEB INDUSTRIAL PPI UP 0.7% M/M VS 2.6% M/M RISE IN JAN - STATS OFFICE Mar 12, 2008, 10:12 CET | Alert | SeeNews link

Serbia’s Feb Industrial Producer Prices Up 0.7% M/M - Table Mar 12, 2008, 10:14 CET | Story | SeeNews BELGRADE (Serbia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Serbia’s February producer prices for the industrial sector rose by 0.7% from a month earlier and were 11.5% higher on the year, the country’s statistics office said on Wednesday. link

Serbia’s February Restaurant, Hotel Prices Rise 7.0% Y/Y - Table Mar 12, 2008, 10:27 CET | Story | SeeNews BELGRADE (Serbia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Prices in Serbia’s restaurants and hotels rose by 7.0% in February from a year earlier and remained unchanged from the previous month, data from the country’s statistics office showed on Wednesday. link

Vojvodjanska Banka - Daily Vobnews - Mar 12, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:27 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews Vojvodjanska banka released its Daily Vobnews Report for March 12, 2008 containing the following charts and tables: link

Sinteza Investment Group - Daily Market WrapUp - Mar 11, 2008 Mar 12, 2008, 10:54 CET | Broker’s Report | SeeNews Sinteza Investment Group has released its Daily Market WrapUp for March 11, 2008, containg an overview of the Serbian Financial Market. link

Serbia’s Political Crisis Drags Down Blue-chip Share Index Mar 12, 2008, 16:59 CET | Story | SeeNews BELGRADE (Serbia), March 12 (SeeNews) – Panic selling induced by Serbia’s deepening political crisis peeled 7.39% off the blue-chip index of the Belgrade Stock Exchange (BELEX) on Wednesday, brokers said. link

Serbia Schedule of Events - March 12 - May 18 Mar 12, 2008, 09:11 CET | Story | SeeNews BELGRADE (Serbia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Following is a schedule of corporate, economic and political events taking place in or related to Serbia through May 18. New or amended entries are marked (*). link

* SLOVENIA *

Fitch Affirms Slovenia’s Abanka at ’BBB’, Outlook Stable Mar 12, 2008, 17:38 CET | Story | SeeNews LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Fitch Ratings on Wednesday affirmed its long-term Issuer Default (IDR) rating on Slovenian third largest bank by assets, Abanka Vipa, at ’BBB’ with stable outlook and its short-term IDR at ’F3’. link

INTERVIEW - Eurex, Slovenia’s Borzen To Launch Spot Power Exchange This Month Mar 12, 2008, 12:52 CET | Interview | SeeNews LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), March 12 (SeeNews) - Slovenian power exchange Borzen and Eurex, the international derivatives exchange, will jointly launch a spot power market for the southeastern European region later this month, Borzen’s director Damjan Stanek said. link

Slovenian Blue-chip Index Rises Slightly, Broader Index Ends Flat in Monotonous Trading Mar 12, 2008, 17:03 CET | Story | SeeNews LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), March 12 (SeeNews) - The Slovenian broader index rose slightly and the broader index remained flat in uneventful trading on Wednesday, and brokers said they expect monotonous trading to continue in the next few days. link

Renault Names Director General in Slovenia Mar 12, 2008, 15:58 CET | Story | SeeNews LJUBLJANA (Slovenia), March 12 (SeeNews) - France’s Renault has named Eric Bernard director general of its group in Slovenia, one of its Slovenian units said on Wednesday. link

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