SE Europe

Zurich Insurance, Europe’s second-largest insurer by revenue, has acquired a minority stake in Serbian-founded, Hungary-registered car insurtech startup Ominimo Insurance. According to TechCrunch, the Swiss insurer invested €10 million for a 5% equity share, giving Ominimo a post-money valuation of €200 million. Though only a year old, Ominimo has made significant waves. After entering the Hungarian market in partnership with Signal Iduna,

Greece’s Eurobank Group is making waves in the Eastern Mediterranean with a landmark €1.3 billion investment in Cypriot lender Hellenic Bank—a move that will create Cyprus’ largest financial institution, with total assets of €27.5 billion. During a visit by the Eurobank Board of Directors to Cyprus, Chairman George Zanias described the deal as a strategic expansion aimed at strengthening Eurobank’s footprint on

S&P Global Ratings upgraded Albania’s long-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings to ‘BB’ from ‘BB-‘, citing the nation’s improved fiscal position and robust economic performance. The stable outlook reflects balanced risks to Albania’s economic, external, and fiscal health. The upgrade is primarily attributed to Albania’s successful fiscal consolidation, which has seen gross general government debt decline by 10 percentage points

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided a €75 million guarantee to Postbank, a subsidiary of Greece’s Eurobank Group, aimed at expanding financing options for mid-sized companies in Bulgaria. This initiative is set to unlock up to €150 million in new loans, supporting business growth, innovation, and economic stability in the country. Enhancing Access to Affordable FinancingUnder this risk-sharing agreement, the EIB

ING-GRAD d.d., a leading Croatian construction company, has officially debuted on the Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE) following the successful completion of its initial public offering (IPO). All 3,990,000 shares have been listed on the ZSE, with official trading commencing on Monday (March 10). The IPO was met with significant investor enthusiasm, selling out at the maximum price of €46 per share, resulting

Moldova and North Macedonia officially joined the geographical scope of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) on March 6, following a positive decision by the European Payments Council (EPC). This milestone marks a significant step in the financial integration of both countries with the European payment system. With SEPA membership, payment service providers (PSPs) in Moldova and North Macedonia can now adhere

Moldovan lender Victoriabank has successfully finalized its merger with BCR Chișinău, marking a significant milestone in the country’s banking sector. The acquisition, originally announced in 2024, represents the first instance of a local Moldovan bank fully acquiring another domestic banking institution, a move that reinforces Victoriabank’s leadership in the financial market. With this merger, Victoriabank is strengthening its presence in Chișinău and

Bulgaria’s Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) has approved the prospectus for a 2.5 million euro ($2.6 million) three-year bond issued by Bulgarian investment company TIZ Invest, paving the way for its trading on the regulated market. The FSC has registered the bond, issued last May, in its register of public companies and other securities issuers, according to a statement released on Wednesday (Feb.

Alpha Bank, Greece’s fourth-largest lender by market value, has announced the acquisition of Cypriot financial institution AstroBank for €205 million. The deal, revealed on Thursday (Feb. 27), is set to reinforce Alpha Bank’s presence in the Cypriot banking sector. The acquisition will be executed through Alpha Bank Cyprus, the Greek lender’s subsidiary on the island, and is expected to be finalized in