Weekly news:

FINANCIAL & ECONOMIC NEWS

NEWS

Hungarian gross wages growth picks up to 8.4% y/y in September; real wages up 1.6% y/y

MONETARY POLICY

Hungary seeks ERM II talks in 2009 – finance minister

COMPANY NEWS

PHARMACEUTICALS & HEALTHCARE

GE Healthcare to launch USD 5.3 mln Hungarian research project

REAL ESTATE

Hungarian construction group Vegyepszer may lay off 400 – report

Hungary’s construction output up 2.5% y/y in September on low base; down 8.0% y/y in Q1–Q3

Hungarian hotel occupancy falls to 61.4% in October

ENERGY NEWS

OIL & PETROCHEMICALS

Hungarian petrochemicals TVK posts HUF 1.4 bln loss in Q3

Hungary’s top oil company MOL posts HUF 5 bln loss in Q3 on oil prices, financials

Hungarian retail gasoline prices to fall HUF 4 per liter this week, diesel down HUF 6

GAS

PRESS: Russia’s Gazprom in talks to buy majority stake in Budapest gas utility Fogaz

PRESS: Germany’s RWE, E.ON show little interest in privatization of Budapest gas utility Fogaz

HEAT, POWER & SEWAGE

Hungarian electricity distributor Emasz records HUF 10.3 bln net in Q1–Q3, up 81% y/y

Hungarian electric utility Elmu posts HUF 26.9 bln net profit in Q1–Q3, up 60% y/y

Hungarian households to tighten energy consumption amid economic crisis – survey

Hungary’s Dunamenti power plant signs EUR 24 mln deal with Alstom under EUR 200 mln project

PRESS: Hungarian electric utilities may face HUF 4–5 bln extra costs in liberalization paperwork

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Hungarian alternative energy co. PannErgy to record first revenues from geothermal project in 2009

Hungarian alternative energy co. Greenergy gets HUF 12 bln credit line, plans regional expansion

EMERGING MARKETS NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Ukraine’s Security Service to join Central European security body

Most Russians back plans to place Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad region - poll

Naftohaz Ukrainy owes Gazprom-linked RosUkrEnergo almost USD 1.3 bln for natural gas

Somalia needs Russian ships to fight pirates - Somalian ambassador

Freedom House lists Kazakhstan, Belarus as "authoritarian regimes," Central Europe "democratic"

New U.S. gov’t must be given time to forge policy on AMD – French ambassador

U.S. President-elect Obama phones Georgian President Saakashvili, backs ’territorial integrity’

FINANCIAL MARKETS

EQUITIES

Budapest Stock Exchange share trading 14–21/11/2008

Budapest Stock Exchange, Indices, 14–21/11/2008

FIXED INCOME

Hungary fixed income benchmark yields 14–21/11/2008

Hungary fixed income benchmark yields 21/11/2008

CURRENCY

National Bank of Hungary official exchange rates 14–21/11/2008

MONEY MARKET

National Bank of Hungary official interest rates – 21/11/2008

Nb: This news report features only the headline of each news.

Agency Interfax