MARKET MOVING NEWS
ECONOMY
-Romania’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 5.5% in March 2025, down from 5.6% in February, according to data released by the country’s statistical office (INS) on Monday, May 5.
-In the transport sector, new registrations of road vehicles for passenger transport rose by 11.3% in Q1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting rising consumer demand.
FINANCE
-Romania’s finance ministry rejected all bids for government bonds maturing in April 2029, citing unacceptable bid prices, according to central bank data. The move comes amid rising state borrowing costs, with yields surging to 7.87%, up from 7.47% at Friday’s close.
-Erste Group, the parent company of Banca Comercială Română (BCR), announced it has entered into an agreement with Banco Santander to acquire a 49% stake in Santander Bank Polska for approximately EUR 6.8 billion.
-Private pension fund Metropolitan Life, which manages RON 22 billion in assets for 1.1 million Romanian employees, has exceeded the 5% ownership threshold in Sphera Franchise Group (SFG.RO)—operator of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell in Romania, according to a stock market disclosure.
-Fondul Proprietatea (FP.RO) informed the Bucharest Stock Exchange that its Board of Nominees has selected a preferred candidate to replace Franklin Templeton as fund manager. The choice was made in collaboration with adviser Deutsche Numis, following a dual-candidate evaluation process.
COMPANIES
American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is set to officially open a new center in Timișoara in early May, marking its second location in Romania after its debut in Pipera in 2024.
TODAY’S MARKET DATA
EXCHANGE RATE OF THE NATIONAL LEU CURRENCY
| EUR 4.9775 | GBP 5.8391 |
| USD 4.3903 | CHF 5.3278 |
| BGN 2.5449 | MDL 0.2554 |
(Source: National Bank of Romania BNR)
BUCHAREST STOCK EXCHANGE (BVB) INDICES
| BET -2.88% BET-TR -2.88% BET-FI -3.09% BET-NG -2.70% BET-EF -2.77% BET-XT -2.81%, BET-BK -2.52% BET AeRO -2.31% ROTX -2.75% |
CAPITAL MARKET COMMENTARY
| Bucharest stocks started the week on a negative note, with the BET index plunging 2.88% on Monday. Fondul Proprietatea led blue-chip losses, falling 6.13%. This downturn comes as over 8.2 million Romanian employees are indirectly the largest investors in listed companies through Pillar II private pension funds. |
BET INDEX CONSTITUENTS
| Company | Price | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| ANTIBIOTICE S.A. | 1.9100 | -4.21 |
| AQUILA PART PROD COM | 1.3280 | -4.60 |
| BANCA TRANSILVANIA S.A. | 27.0400 | -4.11 |
| BRD – GROUPE SOCIETE GENERALE S.A. | 18.1600 | -0.11 |
| C.N.T.E.E. TRANSELECTRICA | 43.0000 | -4.02 |
| Digi Communications N.V. | 64.4000 | -2.42 |
| FONDUL PROPRIETATEA | 0.3525 | -6.13 |
| MedLife S.A. | 6.0000 | -1.96 |
| OMV PETROM S.A. | 0.7005 | -2.57 |
| ONE UNITED PROPERTIES | 17.7000 | -3.17 |
| Premier Energy PLC | 17.5400 | -5.29 |
| PURCARI WINERIES PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED | 14.2000 | -3.14 |
| S.N. NUCLEARELECTRICA S.A. | 39.1000 | -2.25 |
| S.N.G.N. ROMGAZ S.A. | 5.8000 | -2.52 |
| S.N.T.G.N. TRANSGAZ S.A. | 26.5000 | -5.36 |
| S.P.E.E.H. HIDROELECTRICA S.A. | 116.0000 | -1.86 |
| SOCIETATEA ENERGETICA ELECTRICA S.A. | 12.4400 | -4.31 |
| Sphera Franchise Group | 41.0000 | -2.26 |
| TERAPLAST SA | 0.3500 | -3.58 |
| TTS (TRANSPORT TRADE SERVICES) | 3.8400 | -3.64 |
