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Financial & Banking
BNR maintains the monetary policy interest rate at 6.5% per annum
Monday, May 19, 2025
* Romania’s Inflation Slows in March and April 2025, but Economic and Political Uncertainty Mounts. The Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) decided to maintain the monetary policy interest rate at 6.5% per annum. The NBR also decided to maintain the interest rate for the lending facility (Lombard) at 7.50 percent per annum and the interest rate for the deposit ...
Balance of payments and external debt – March 2025
Monday, May 19, 2025
In January – March 2025p, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 7,656 million, compared with EUR 4,201 million in the same year-ago period. The breakdown shows that the deficit on trade in goods widened by EUR 1,997 million, the surplus on services fell by EUR 503 million, the primary income deficit decreased by EUR 140 million, while the secondary income balance made a negative contribution of EUR 1,095 ...
Bloomberg Warns of New Risks Post-Election: Romanian Eurobonds Trade at Junk-Level Amid Political Uncertainty
Monday, May 19, 2025
Romania’s euro-denominated government bonds are now trading at levels similar to junk-rated debt, following months of political instability. According to a Bloomberg analysis, the upcoming presidential runoff this weekend introduces new risks, particularly for the Romanian leu and local-currency debt. While a Nicusor Dan victory could temporarily calm financial markets, investors say George Simion ...
Bucharest Stock Exchange posts 41% drop in operating profit in Q1 2025
Monday, May 19, 2025
The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) posted a 41% drop in operating profit in the first quarter of this year, falling to 1.20 million lei compared to 2.05 million lei in Q1 2024, amid a decrease in operating revenues, partially offset by a reduction in operating expenses.According to the report published Wednesday, at the individual level, BVB reported operating revenues of 7.81 million lei, a 15% decrease compared to Q1 2024, mainly due to a 26% decline in ...
BCR finances Alerion Group with EUR 18.5 M for photovoltaic project in Romania
Monday, May 19, 2025
Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) has granted EUR 18.5 million in financing to a company within the Italian group Alerion Clean Power S.p.A, a key player in the renewable energy market, focused on sustainability and technological innovation in the energy sector. The funds will be used for the construction of a new photovoltaic project with an installed capacity of 35 MW, located in Calara?i County, which is expected to generate an ...
EBRD lends €50 million to Garanti BBVA in Romania to support green financing
Monday, May 19, 2025
EBRD lends €50 million to Romanian bank Garanti BBVA Tier 2 subordinated loan will support Romania's banking sector stability Loan helps Garanti BBVA Romania support investments in the green ...
Reuters: S&P Global raises fears of Romania rating cut to junk category
Monday, May 12, 2025
Ratings agency S&P Global has warned that the current political upheaval in Romania is putting the country's coveted investment grade credit rating under increasing threat. Romania's financial markets were rattled this week after hard-right presidential candidate George Simion's victory in a first-round vote deepened a political crisis in central Europe's second-largest ...
Romania's political crisis heightens recession risks, employers say
Monday, May 12, 2025
A deepening political crisis after the first round of Romania's presidential election triggered the collapse of a pro-Western government, raised the risk of pushing the country into recession, the head of the country's largest investors' group said, https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/ ...
FinMin Warns of Hard Landing if Political Instability Persists
Monday, May 12, 2025
Finance Minister Tánczos Barna said on Wednesday that the Romanian economy will face a “hard landing, not to say soft, because it is not credible” and “very hard” if political instability continues, according to Curs de Governare. A day after the historic exchange rate of 5 lei to one euro, the minister announced that there will be a public debate regarding the tax increase and said that a “fiscal ...
Romania risks the suspension of all European money
Monday, May 12, 2025
The tax reform requested by the European Commission by June, which also involved tax increases, could be postponed due to the limitations of the interim government. The measure had already been postponed previously, for electoral reasons. A new delay could have serious consequences. Government sources warn that Brussels could consider suspending all European funds – both from the PNRR and from cohesion policy, until the reform is ready, Digi24 ...
Exim Banca Romaneasca Joins €110M Syndicated Loan for Moov Expansion
Monday, May 12, 2025
Moov Leasing, a Romanian company specializing in 100% digital operational leasing for individuals, microenterprises, and SMEs, has secured a syndicated loan worth €110 million to support its national expansion plans. The facility is aligned with the company’s sustainability objectives, with the reduction of CO? emissions intensity from its vehicle fleet being its primary ...
Groupama continues to gain the preference of Romanians in 2024
Monday, May 12, 2025
Groupama, the leader of the insurance market in Romania, continues its development, gaining the preference of Romanians. The total value of gross written premiums by Groupama in 2024 approached 4.4 billion RON, representing a 7% increase compared to the previous year. Excluding mandatory car insurance (RCA), Groupama recorded gross written premiums of nearly 2 billion RON, a 21% increase compared to 2023. The company reported a net profit of 285 million RON and very ...
Moody’s changed tbi bank’s rating outlook to positive
Monday, May 12, 2025
The outlook on the long-term deposit ratings of tbi bank was changed by Moody’s Ratings from “stable” to “positive”. At the same time the agency also affirmed the bank’s long- and short-term deposit ratings at Ba2/NP and Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) and Adjusted BCA at ba3 by Moody’s Ratings. Moody’s also affirmed tbi bank’s long- and short-term Counterparty Risk Ratings at Baa3/P-3 and the long- and short-term ...
Raiffeisen Bank Romania in Q1 2025: 35% new clients and positive developments across all business segments
Monday, May 12, 2025
Raiffeisen Bank continues its growth strategy into 2025 with solid financial results in the first quarter, with all business areas contributing. The progress in the first three months reflects the effective approach to financial planning with the help of the innovative SMART FINANCE solution. Improvements in digital banking have also contributed to the positive developments in digital banking services, which led to a 35% increase in the number of new customers compared to the ...
Study: Mortgage rates down as share of long-term borrowers' incomes despite interest variation
Monday, May 5, 2025
Mortgage rates are decreasing in time as a share of long-term borrowers' income, despite the variation in interest rates, which can reach several percentage points, according to an analysis carried out by the online broker Ipotecare.ro.The company's data shows that the average repayment period of a mortgage loan is approximately 15 years in Romania. The average interest rate on a mortgage loan in lei, equivalent to 65,000 euros, contracted in ...
BCR Group records net profit of 742 million RON in first quarter of 2025
Monday, May 5, 2025
BCR Group achieved a net profit of 742 million RON (149 million euros) in the first quarter of 2025, up 19.8% compared to 620 million RON (125 million euros) in Q1 2024, due to improved operational performance, supported by a significantly higher volume of customer business, according to a press release.Operating profit improved by 15.7% to 1.062 billion lei (214 million euros) in Q1 2025, from 918 million lei (185 million euros) in the ...
Libra Internet Bank records profit of 270 million RON in 2024
Monday, May 5, 2025
Libra Internet Bank recorded in 2024 the second highest profit in the bank's history, of over 270 million RON, a decrease of 14.8% compared to 2023, especially as a result of the introduction of the turnover tax.Assets increased by 14%, reaching 12.7 billion RON, while the loan portfolio rose to 7.4 billion RON, marking an advance of over 9% compared to the previous year, the bank informed in a press release.The balance of ...
ASF's Petrescu: Stock market should be the place where an entrepreneur instinctively turns for financing
Monday, May 5, 2025
We must show the Romanian entrepreneur that the traditional line of bank financing is not the one that should be in their DNA, but, instinctively, they must turn to the stock market for different financing methods, the president of the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) Alexandru Petrescu told an event organized by the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) ."We are reaching some important milestones: 350 billion lei of recent stock market ...
National Bank of Romania launches Economic@BNR economic research, debate, education platform
Monday, May 5, 2025
The National Bank of Romania (BNR) is launching the Economic@BNR project, a research and analysis platform on relevant economic subjects to Romania that takes into consideration the objectives undertaken at national level regarding the development of economic and financial education.The purpose of the initiative is to facilitate communication, debate and the in-depth approach to topical matters concerning relevant developments in terms of ...
Schoenherr advises Eurobank on exit from local real estate market via sale to APS Group
Monday, May 5, 2025
Schoenherr advised Eurobank on the closing of its deal with APS Group for the divestment of 100 % participation in IMO Property Investments Bucharest, a company specialised in managing and selling Eurobank's real estate assets located in Romania, which on the date of the sale owned over 150 assets. Schoenherr provided sell-side legal advice to Eurobank in ...