SLOVENIA
SBITOP lost 0.84 percent
SBITOP closed at 811.43 points, losing 0.84 percent yesterday. The stocks that gained the most were the stocks of Luka Koper, which gained 1.3 percent, closing at 31.2 EUR per share. Stocks of Petrol (-2.86%), SavaRe (-1.18) and Krka (-0.69%) lost the most.
Slovenia aproching pre-crisis employmet growth rates
According to Bank of Slovenia the employment growth was again high again in November, and the average year-on-year growth in wages rose considerably due to higher payments. In November, the number of employees in the private sector rose by 4% year on year, which is close to the growth rates before the crisis.
Current account surplus up by 706 million to 2813 million in 2017
In December 2017, the current account showed a surplus of 152 million EUR and was 129 million higher than in the same month of the previous year. In 2017, the current account surplus amounted to EUR 2813 million, which is EUR 706 million more than in 2016. The surplus of trade in goods increased by 89 million EUR and the trade surplus in services increased by 391 EUR million over the previous year.
Source: Bank of Slovenia
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
After Monday's gain European stocks decline and euro gains and US markets go up on Tuesday trading day
After Monday's growth, the trading day on European stock exchanges ended with the fall of central indices. In the euro area, pessimism also supported a strong euro, as the value of the common European currency rose above the $ 1.23. New York Stock Exchanges closed in green yesterday, as all three major indices recorded growth. Investors are eagerly awaiting fresh price rises. Analysts expect Federal Reserve Bank to increase interest rates faster than current expectations due to strong inflation this year.
SERBIA
NBS: FX reserves in January 2018 at EUR 9.6bn
NBS FX reserves stood at EUR 9.6bn at end-January (according to preliminary data), covering 180% of money supply (M1) or more than five months’ worth of the country’s imports of goods and services, almost twice the level prescribed by the standard on adequate level of coverage of imports of goods and services by FX reserves. In January, inflows into FX reserves on account of net sale (higher sale than maturity) of securities, allocation of banks’ required FX reserves, donations, and other, covered almost half of the outflows on account of NBS FX sale interventions in the IFEM (net reduction of EUR 111.5 mn). Government net repayment of FX loans (EUR 61.3 mn), as well as the negative effect of intercurrency changes in the international financial market (EUR 141.2 mn) largely contributed to the decline in FX reserves in January this year.
Source: NBS
Kostic interested in part of Agrokor – New investments in Croatian tourism sector planned
The Serbian businessman Miodrag Kostic expressed public interest in purchasing parts of the Croatian concern Agrokor. He said that his company was following the events concerning Agrokor and the upcoming settlement of the company’s creditors. Agrokor is a big company, with big assets, which are certainly not stay within one company – Kostic told RTL. Certain parts of the concern are sure to be sold, and we will certainly be interested in the agricultural and agricultural product processing sector, as a big investor in this sector – Kostic said.
Source: Ekapija
