Russia
Trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin falls to a historic low of 31.7% in May
In 2016 trust in Putin was 71%, but it has tumbled since then on the back of conflicts with the west and stagnating income levels to just to 31.7% in May, according to state owned pollster VTsIOM.
Eastern Europe's sustainable fashion designers embrace old traditions and new technologies
Solo designers and small creative companies are producing sustainable fashion lines in Central and Eastern Europe, embracing new technologies to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint and insisting on good conditions for their workers.
Yields on Russian OFZ sovereign treasury bills fall to 9-month lows as foreign demand rises
Russian Ministry of Finance ruble-denominated OFZ treasury bills were trading close to their highest levels in nearly two years in the first weeks of May.
Russia's industrial output growth jumps in April on flawed data
Russia's industrial output growth in April 2019 jumped to 4.9% year-on-year after 1.2% growth in March, according to the latest data by Rosstat statistics agency. Russia on track to finish the year with 2.3% industrial production growth
Russia’s state-owned tech agency claims its first unicorn
Russia nanotube producer OCSiAl's valuation topped $1bn, making it Rosnano's first unicorn — but a high-profile economist has challenged the claim.
Rostec Embarks on Massive IoT Project
GLONASS-TM will build a 53bn ruble ($811mn) federal network for Internet of Things (IoT) in a bid to secure presence in the segment expected to boom over the next few years
Why are Russian stocks so cheap?
Investors into Russian stocks have almost given up seeing any of the cash the country’s leading companies generate. Valuations are in the basement, as investors don't believe the management will share their billions of dollars in revenue.
Problems with contaminated Russian oil not over in Poland and Germany
The transit of Russian oil via Druzhba pipeline has not yet been resumed due to persisting technical problems in Poland and Germany, Vedomosti daily and Reuters reported on May 21 citing unnamed market sources.
Progress made towards creating of Russia's 5G network
Russia has made another step towards launching the fifth generation of cellular mobile communications (5G), as state-controlled telecoms operator Rostelecom transferred companies that tested the relevant technology to its subsidiary, Bashinformsvyaz.
Russia's advertising market slows to 4% growth in 1Q19
Advertising spending in Russia in 1Q19 stood at RUB111bn ($1.7bn), the growth of the ad market slowing down to 4% from 13% for the same quarter of 2018, Kommersant daily reported citing the data of Association of Communication Agencies of Russia (AKA
Major win for Russian Yandex as software lands on dashboard of Avtovaz best selling cars
In the next five years Russian internet major Yandex will install its multi-media system Yandex.Avto on two million Ladas
COMMENT: Russia keeps accumulating foreign assets, sales of OFZ bonds driving exchange rate
April balance of payments confirms the corporate preference to convert export proceeds into international assets, making foreign inflows into local state bonds the only support factor for the ruble exchange rate
COMMENT: Russian offshore? Not so fast...
The two offshore zones established in Russia last August for the purposes of tempting foreign-based Russian businesses back to the Motherland have yet to catch on.
COMMENT: Russia’s GDP growth slows in 1Q19, challenging the policy framework
Russian GDP growth slowed from 2.7% year on year in 4Q18 to just 0.5% y/y in 1Q19, well below expectations. Unlike most commentators, we attribute this slowdown to a pause in the state CAPEX rather than to the VAT hike.
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Russia's GDP disappoints in 1Q19 with 0.5% growth
Russia's GDP growth slowed notably to 0.5% year-on-year in 1Q19, down from the strong 2.7% y/y seen in 4Q18 and 1.9% y/y in 1Q18, according to the preliminary data by Rosstat statistics bureau.
Russian court rules against Baring Vostok fund in OEB case
The Russian regional Amur arbitration court has ruled against Baring Vostok Capital Partners (BVCP) in the controversial case for the control of 9.99% in the Oriental Express Bank (OEB or Vostochniy), ordering the fund to sell its stake in the bank
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the biggest grain exporter of them all?
The race is on between Ukraine and Russia for the title of “world’s biggest grain exporter” and the two rivals are running neck and neck.
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Russian consumer loans ballooning despite CBR measures to cool the market
Unsecured consumer loans in Russia keep on growing, increasing by 25% year-on-year in January-March 2018, Vedomosti daily said on May 17 citing the data by Frank RG. Unsecured loans accounted for RUB1.05tn of the total retail loans volume of RUB1.9tn
BRICKS & MORTAR: Russian real estate market getting back on its feet
Russia’s real estate market is back in play after investment rose by 30% y/y in the first quarter of this year, reports JLL – the best result in the last three years.
COMMENT: Russia's controversial sovereign internet bill will stoke the very protests it is designed to quell
Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 1 signed the controversial sovereign internet bill into law. It will come into force November 1 despite the concern, confusion and even ridicule on show during its State Duma readings.