SLOVENIA
Top 100 exporters and importers generated over half of trade in 2016
Slovenia's 100 biggest exporting and importing companies accounted for about 50% of the country's foreign trade in 2016, the Statistics Office has said. Slovenia's exports reached almost EUR 25bn in 2016, and imports were at EUR 24bn.
Source: STA
Luka Koper group net up 3% on solid revenue growth
Port operator Luka Koper saw group net profit increase 3% in the first quarter of the year to EUR 14.3m, as net sales improved by 3% to EUR 56.3m on strong container and car transshipment growth.
Source: STA
Messer launches first oxygen plant in Slovenia
The Slovenian branch of German industrial gas producer Messer has launched its first oxygen plant in Slovenia. The EUR 20m plant, inaugurated on Friday, is the company's largest investment in Slovenia to date.
Source: STA
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
Stocks hold weekly gains as solid earnings overshadow geopolitical fears; European stocks close up despite political uncertainty in Italy
U.S. stocks fell Friday as geopolitical fears following President Donald Trump's move to cancel a key summit with North Korea weighed on solid corporate earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.24%, while S&P 500 was down 0.24%, as well. Nasdaq was up light 0.13%.
A string of solid earnings reports has helped keep equities on track for weekly gains, with Foot Locker adding to the optimism on Friday. The athletic shoe retailer handily beat Wall Street expectations, posting adjusted earnings per share of $1.45 versus expectations of $1.24 per share. It posted revenue of $2.03 billion, also ahead of estimates. The company's stock closed 20 percent higher Friday following the report, on track for its best day since November.
High-end jeweler Tiffany & Co., meanwhile, is having one of its best weeks on Wall Street. The company's stock rose more than 23 percent after reporting that same-store sales rose 7 percent in the quarter, overshooting expectations of only 2.6 percent. It also raised its full-year guidance in light of the solid beat.
New orders for U.S.-made capital goods increased more than expected in April, hinting that business spending on equipment was accelerating after a slowdown toward the end of the first quarter.
European stocks closed slightly higher on Friday amid continued uncertainty surrounding Italy's government-in-waiting. Traders also continued to monitor U.S.-North Korea relations. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed up 0.14 percent, with most major bourses negative and sectors mixed.
Europe's travel and leisure stocks led the gains Friday lunchtime, up more than 1 percent amid earnings news. British gambling firm GVC Holdings forecast higher cost synergies following its £4 billion ($5.4 billion) acquisition of bookmaker Ladbrokes Coral late last year.
Source: CNBC
SERBIA
New agreements for Serbia on projects with China at 16 plus 1 summit in July in Sofia – Investments throughout Balkans planned
Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic and Ambassador of China Li Manchang discussed the realization of infrastructural projects and the signing of the agreements on new joint projects of Serbia and China on May 24. The ministry announced that both sides were satisfied with the cooperation and ready for new projects, Beta reports. For Serbia, Mihajlovic said, it is of great importance to sign a commercial agreement on the final section of the Belgrade-Budapest high speed railway, from Novi Sad to Subotica, as well as the contract on the financing of the construction of the Preljina-Pozega highway, so that the works might start as soon as possible.
Source: Ekapija
NIIS: Gazprom Neft interested in Petrohemija – Negotiations about increased delivery of gas to Serbia ongoing
Gazprom Neft and NIS are interested in Petrohemija and the talks with the Russians will be intensified in the next period, Serbian Minister of Energy Aleksandar Antic stated after a meeting with representatives of Gazprom and Gazprom Neft in Saint Petersburg. Antic pointed out that Petrohemija’s operations were successful at the moment, but that it needed a strategic partner for investments. He also said that he had talked about the operations of NIS and added that it was very important that NIS had adopted an ambitious strategy of company development, including big goals for the development of NIS as the leader in the Western Balkans.
Source: Ekapija
Pensions to be increased by end of 2018
The 2014 law on temporary pension cuts will be abolished, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Friday. Vucic said that he would like the government to be able to implement this from November to enable pension increases to take effect by the end of the year. Compared to 2018, the increases will amount to 5-25%, or to 8.4-13.3% compared to 2014, when the law was introduced, Vucic told reporters in Obrenovac.
Source: b92
