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Financial & Banking
Belgian bank KBC is considering acquisitions in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania
Monday, March 24, 2025
KBC, the biggest bank in Belgium, analyses possible acquisitions on the markets in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania, stated for Reuters the general manager Johan Thijs, quoted by Agerpres. The Belgian bank, which is already present on the markets of Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria analyses takeover opportunities both on banking and insurance segments, said ...
BCR launches first 100% electric mobile bank in Romania
Monday, March 24, 2025
Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) is launching the first 100% electric mobile bank, organized in the form of a modular truck that will provide access to modern banking services in rural and small urban communities in Romania. The initiative is part of BCR’s strategy and complements its program of financial inclusion of local communities, through which it put its first mobile unit into circulation in October 2022, ...
Banca Transilvania remains world’s third-strongest bank brand in new global ranking
Monday, March 24, 2025
The total brand value of the world’s 500 most valuable banking brands has surged by 13% year-on-year to reach USD1.6 trillion, marking the first double-digit increase in four years, according to the latest report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. This follows two years of sluggish 2% brand value growth and reflects the banking sector’s ability to sustain momentum despite market ...
tbi bank total assets reached EUR 1.77 billion in 2024, up 20%
Monday, March 24, 2025
In 2024 tbi continues to show strong financial results with a record net profit of EUR 50 million for 2024 – 18% higher year-on-year (YOY) based on unaudited consolidated financial results. Furthermore, tbi bank maintained its strong liquidity and capital positions. Strong performance can also be seen in all business lines and markets. Throughout 2024 tbi onboarded new ...
BVB: Romania has very solid investor community on capital market
Monday, March 24, 2025
Romania has become a competitive market, with a very solid community of investors on the stock exchange, Adrian Tanase, CEO of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), told on Tuesday the launch conference of a new ETF that tracks the main index of the Slovenian capital market."I want to congratulate Intercapital Asset Management for their consistency in proposing products for the Romanian public. This is very good, because Romania has become a very strong part ...
Number of investors in funds nears one million
Monday, March 24, 2025
The number of investors in funds is approaching one million, a level that will most likely be reached by Easter, given that at the end of January there were already 913,000 investors, the executive director of the Association of Fund Administrators (AAF), Jan Pricop told a specialized event."The number of investors at the end of the year was 812,226. We also have data for the end of January. Together with the alternative investment funds segment, the total ...
BVB : In recent years, liquidity share of foreign institutional investors down, share of local investors up
Monday, March 24, 2025
The last 4 - 5 years saw a decrease in the liquidity share of foreign institutional investors and an increase in the share of local institutional investors, but there is no advance in liquidity in the area of local retail investors, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) Radu Hanga said on Monday."A casual example that my colleagues from the stock exchange give me when we look at our liquidity, they tell me ...
Survey:Romanians want pension worth 1000EUR per month, but they don't save enough
Monday, March 24, 2025
Romanians claim that the level of a decent monthly pension is 4,945 RON (almost 1,000 euros), 75% higher than the current average real value of the public pension, but they do not save enough to reach this level, reveals a survey conducted by ISRA Centre at the request of the Association for Privately Administered Pensions in Romania (APAPR).According to the survey, 97% of the respondents have heard of Pillar 2 of private pensions ...
GIA from Garanti BBVA becomes the first AI finfluencer in Romania
Monday, March 24, 2025
In a groundbreaking move for the local banking sector, Garanti BBVA Romania introduces GIA, the country’s first AI finfluencer. Initially launched in June 2024 as a chatbot aimed at enhancing customer experience, GIA has since evolved with advanced AI technology into the “digital voice and face” of the brand, now present across the bank’s website and all its social media ...
Bucharest Stock Exchange launches an education section on the BVB Research Hub platform
Monday, March 17, 2025
Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) announces the launch of the new financial education section on ...
Gov't approves emergency ordinance regulating crypto-asset services and their supervision
Monday, March 17, 2025
The government approved on Thursday an emergency ordinance on the prevention and combat of money laundering, which regulates crypto-asset services and their control, announced the Executive's spokesman Mihai Constantin."This is a government decision in the form of an emergency ordinance on the prevention and combat of money laundering, which transposes into national law a European directive, and these regulations refer to the crypto market, for better ...
Capital market expert says U.S. Gov't seeking weaker dollar to borrow at competitive prices
Monday, March 17, 2025
The current state of play on the capital market could last for another 6 - 8 months and is part of a larger strategy according to which a weaker dollar would help the U.S. government borrow at competitive prices, says Octavian Patrascu, CEO of fintech company NAGA Group."I think they want a weaker dollar so that the American government can borrow at competitive prices and I think this will last for another 6 - 8 months. I can't figure it out yet. I ...
Autonom International invested in Eazy Insurance
Monday, March 17, 2025
Autonom International, part of Autonom Group, has invested in the Romanian insurance company Easy Insurance. The transaction was signed on March 5, 2025, and is pending approval by the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF) and other relevant regulatory authorities. Known for its expertise in the automotive industry, the Autonom Group is joining Eazy Insurance as a portfolio investor. Without having any ...
Click to Pay is now available in PayU for all Mastercard and Visa cardholders
Monday, March 17, 2025
PayU GPO Romania, the leader in digital payments, announces the integration of Click to Pay for Visa and Mastercard cardholders. They can shop online faster and easier, with Click to Pay which is a new standard of online card payments aimed at eliminating the need to manually enter card details for each purchase, from any device. Romania has one of the most dynamic e-commerce markets ...
EIB Vice President Ioannis Tsakiris: Romania benefited from EIB Group financing of 1.5% of GDP in 2024
Monday, March 17, 2025
The European Investment Bank Group, made up of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), supported climate action, infrastructure, energy transition and SMEs in 2024, also focusing on urban development and innovation. The EIB has reaffirmed its strong commitment to Romania with new financing of EUR 2.49 billion, generating total investment of some EUR 5.27 billion, equivalent to 1.5% of Gross Domestic Product. The EIB Group finances part of a ...
Traditional banks in Romania and the entire region must prepare for a wave of technological changes
Monday, March 17, 2025
The digital transformation of the banking sector is inevitable, and traditional banks in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe must prepare for a wave of technological changes and adapt quickly to remain competitive. Not only are digital wallets and real-time payment options becoming mandatory, but artificial intelligence (AI), automation, Open Banking, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrencies will also become increasingly present in the banking ...
International reserves – February 2025
Monday, March 10, 2025
On 28 February 2025, the National Bank of Romania’s foreign exchange reserves stood at EUR 62,593 million, compared to EUR 60,837 million on 31 January 2025. During the month, the following flows were recorded: EUR 6,355 million worth of inflows representing: changes in credit institutions’ foreign ...
Analysis: Romania's share of tax revenues in GDP, lowest in region, 1995 to 2022
Monday, March 10, 2025
The average share of general consolidated budget revenues in GDP from 1995 to 2022 was 32.6%, with tax revenues making up 27.3%, positioning Romania last in the region, according to an analysis by Ella Kallai, Chief Economist at Alpha Bank Romania."For many years, there has been talk about the low share of general consolidated budget revenues in GDP in Romania compared to other EU member states. The European Commission's database on tax and tax ...
Namirial expands its services on the Romanian market with the launch of Namirial Wallet
Monday, March 10, 2025
After issuing more than 18 million certificates in 2024, Namirial, the global leader in trust services and digital transaction management, is expanding its portfolio of solutions available in Romania with the Namirial Wallet platform. This innovative platform is designed to accelerate the adoption of digital identity and integrate trust services into the emerging European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) ...
Vista Bank Romania acquires Alpha Leasing Romania IFN S.A. & Alpha Insurance Brokers
Monday, March 10, 2025
Vista Bank announces the agreement with Alpha Bank S.A. and Alpha International Holdings S.MS.A. 100% subsidiaries of Alpha Services and Holdings S.A., for the acquisition of the shares (100%) in Alpha Leasing (Romania) (which also holds 100% of Alpha Insurance Brokerage (Romania)). The transaction is expected to be completed in the 2nd quarter of this year and is subject to approval by the competent authorities. ...