Data
Bulgaria’s retail sales up 0.9% m/m in February
Year on year, retail sales increased by 3.2%, after falling by 0.1% in January.
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Kazakhstan’s services sector sees renewed rise in activity in March, PMI shows
Anecdotal evidence points to stronger demand conditions that helped revive growth in new orders and activity.
Russia’s manufacturing PMI in March hits record high
Russia’s manufacturing sector in March 2024 continued to see a sharp improvement in its health, according to latest PMI reports from S&P Global.
Polish manufacturers remain in downbeat mood in March
Poland's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) inched up 0.1 points to 48 in March (chart), the economic intelligence company S&P Global said on April 2.
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Czech PMI continues to inch upward in March
Czechia’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by market intelligence company S&P Global, continued to inch upward in March, posting 46.2.
Turkey manufacturing recorded at 50.0 neutral mark by March PMI
If demand trend continues, growth-building momentum could be seen in second quarter.
Poland’s CPI growth eases to 1.9% y/y in March, flash estimate shows
Polish CPI grew 1.9% year on year in March (chart), below the consensus line of 2.1% y/y and 1.1pp below the February reading, a flash estimate from Poland’s statistical office GUS showed on March 29.
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Manufacturing in Kazakhstan made return to growth in March, PMI shows
Companies respond to rise in new orders by ramping up production, employment and purchasing activity.
Romania's March PMI industrial outlook index rises on positive expectations
Index up to 49.3 points in March as managers become more optimistic based on growth expectations, past investments and product diversification.
Bosnia’s GDP growth slows to 1.7% y/y in 4Q23
World Bank expects annual growth of 2.5% this year, down from 4% in 2023.
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Ukraine's banking sector to have another strong year
Ukraine’s banking sector had a strong year in 2023, ending with a cumulative UAH85.5bn profit, despite taking a UAH44bn hit in December when the banks were forced to pay a 50% one-off tax on profits.
Russian patriotism reaches an all time high – poll
Patriotism in Russia is at an all-time high, according to a recent poll conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) published on March 29. An overwhelming majority (94%) of Russians identify themselves as “patriots.
Non-resident holders of Russian OFZ fall to 7.2% as state-owned banks take up more slack
The share of non-resident holders of Russian Finance Ministry’s OFZ treasury bills fell again in February to 7.2%, or RUB1.4 trillion, of the total outstanding bonds worth RUB20.1 trillion ($217bn), as Russia’s state-owned banks take up the slack.
Russia could pay off its entire external debt tomorrow, in cash
Russia external debt has been falling steadily and reached $326.6bn in December 2023, compared with $322.3bn in the previous quarter and $383.6bn at the end of 2022. It could pay the entire amount off tomorrow – in cash.
Polish chocolate exports third largest in EU last year
Poland exported 115,000 tonnes or 13% of the EU’s total chocolate exports in 2023.
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Revised data show Czech GDP dropped in 2023 by 0.2%
Czech GDP increased in the fourth quarter by 0.4% quarter on quarter and by 0.2% year on year following a revision by the Czech Statistical Office.
Russian industrial production growth surged in February to 8.5%, easily outstripping analysts’ expectations.
Russian industrial production growth surged in February to 8.5% y/y, easily outstripping analysts' expectations.
Labour costs in Western Europe still four times higher than in Romania and Bulgaria
Bulgaria has the EU's lowest labour cost, while Romania still lags well behind Poland and Hungary.
Bank lending loses steam in Romania
The annual increase of the stock of bank loans in Romania has eased gradually from 6.4% y/y in December to 5.7% y/y in January and 4.9% y/y in February.
Romania's GDP per capita surpassed Hungary's in 2023
Romania has been catching up with the EU average faster than Hungary, which fell into recession in 2023.