INTERFAX - Hungary news report of 01.08.2008

STATISTICS

Hungary’s PPI inflation slows to 4.6% y/y in June; domestic PPI accelerates

Hungary’s unemployment rate 7.6% in April–June, up 0.6 pp y/y

POLITICS

Hungary’s top center-right opposition party Fidesz maintains wide lead in July polls

COMPANY NEWS

MANUFACTURING

European Commission drops investigation against Hungarian steelworks Dunaferr

REAL ESTATE

UK’s Catalyst Capital buys Romanian logistics assets for EUR 25 mln

Hungarian new home prices to rise 10.5% in 2008 – survey

Hungarian listed developer BIF buys HUF 1.5 bln Budapest plot

Israeli developer Plaza Centers to build EUR 38 mln mall in Romania’s Hunedoara

Hungarian housing completions down 15.5% y/y in H1; new permits down 0.8% y/y

Hungarian property investments to revive in H2 – analyst

Budapest’s 13th district sees up to 20,000 new homes through 2015, remain top office supplier

PRESS: Indian developer Asmita pre-sells 60% of Bucharest residential project

Israeli developer SBI to invest EUR 350–400 mln in Hungary in next few years

Romania’s Niro, China’s Beijing Urban Construction Engineering to build EUR 70 mln project

PRESS: Western part of Romanian capital Bucharest to see 8,500 homes delivered through 2011

Spanish developer Gran Via to invest EUR 600 mln in Romanian real estate projects

PRESS: Property transactions in Romania drop 5% y/y in June - notaries

PRESS: Romanian developer Flat Invest to build residential project for EUR 8 mln

ENERGY NEWS

OIL & PETROCHEMICALS

PRESS: Top Hungarian oil firm MOL to buy 12 filling stations in Austria

Hungarian retail fuel prices seen falling further this week on international price decline

HEAT, POWER & SEWAGE

Hungarian holding PannErgy records HUF 1.2 bln H1 loss on financials

Hungarian power wholesaler MVM to end long-term PPA with Suez-Electrabel’s Dunamenti plant

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Hungarian oil company MOL sets up geothermal joint venture with Icelandic, Australian partners

IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LANDLINE/MOBILE TELECOMS

Hungary’s mobile penetration 114.9% at end-June

EMERGING MARKETS NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Most Russians oppose deployment of U.S. missile shield in Central Europe – poll

Polish mountaineer dies in Kyrgyz mountains

Generator at Lithuania’s Ignalina power plant restarted

Ukraine to consider proposals of Ukraine’s western refineries on direct use of Odessa-Brody pipe

Kyiv will have to buy gas at European prices from 2009 - Ukraine’s ex-president

Lithuanian power plant Ignalina halts production after turbogenerator shutdown

Ukraine expects to agree upon certain gas issues with Russia within month - Yushchenko

FINANCIAL MARKETS

EQUITIES

Budapest Stock Exchange, Indices, 25/07–01/08/2008

Budapest Stock Exchange share trading 01/08/2008

Budapest Stock Exchange, Indices, 01/08/2008

FIXED INCOME

Hungary fixed income benchmark yields 25/07–01/08/2008

Hungary fixed income benchmark yields 01/08/2008

CURRENCY

National Bank of Hungary official exchange rates 25/07–01/08/2008

MONEY MARKET

National Bank of Hungary official interest rates – 01/08/2008

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