MARKET MOVING NEWS
ECONOMY
-The Macroeconomic Confidence Index published by the CFA Romania Association experienced a decline in February, dropping by 3.8 points to 366.6 points. This decrease was primarily driven by a sharp fall in the current conditions component , which plummeted by 10.4 points to 45.9 points. Meanwhile, the anticipations component remained relatively stable, declining only marginally by 0.5 points.
-In the first quarter of 2025, the Romanian labor market showed signs of deceleration compared to the same period in 2024. According to data from online recruitment platform Bestjobs, this slowdown was attributed to economic uncertainties exacerbated by global and local political challenges. These factors significantly impacted companies’ development plans and recruitment strategies.
FINANCE
-In February 2025, Romania’s M3 money supply , the broadest measure of money in circulation, grew nominally by 9% year-on-year, reaching RON 737.2 billion (EUR 148.2 billion). This growth was reported by the National Bank of Romania (BNR) in its monthly monetary statistics released on March 25. Private lending in Romania also saw an uptick, rising by 9.4% compared to February 2024, reaching a total of RON 420 billion. This growth was fueled by a 11.3% increase in loans denominated in local currency and a 5.3% rise in foreign currency loans, according to central bank data..
-Stanleybet Capital S.A., a holding company specializing in sports betting, slot machines, gambling halls, and online platforms, listed its second issue of corporate bonds on the Multilateral Trading System of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB). The bonds, which are non-subordinated, non-convertible, and unsecured, totaled RON 14.8 million.
-UniCredit Bank Romania, a subsidiary of the Italian banking group, has called for an extraordinary general meeting on March 24 to approve a merger project. Under the proposed plan, UniCredit Bank will absorb Alpha Bank Romania.
-Romgaz, Romania’s state-run natural gas producer and supplier, announced on March 25 that it had placed a term deposit without an auto-renewal option at Exim Banca Romaneasca. The interest rate for the deposit was negotiated.
COMPANIES
-Iulius Group, a leading Romanian developer, is set to embark on an extensive reconfiguration project at its Palas Iasi mixed-use complex . The project will feature a design concept created by the renowned UK-based architecture firm Foster + Partners, marking the studio’s first project in Romania.
-Marriott International plans to expand its presence in Romania by opening seven new hotels in the coming years. The locations include Timisoara, Sibiu, Cluj-Napoca, Brasov, Calimanesti, and Arad.
OMV Petrom and ROMGAZ Black Sea Development.
-OMV Petrom, Southeast Europe’s largest integrated energy producer, and ROMGAZ, Romania’s largest natural gas producer, have begun drilling the first well for the development and production of the Pelican South and Domino natural gas fields . Located 160 km offshore in the Black Sea within the Neptun Deep block, this marks a significant step in Romania’s energy sector.
-Romanian inventors, companies, and research institutes filed 63 European patent applications with the European Patent Office in 2024, representing a 50% increase from 2023. This surge underscores Romania’s growing innovation ecosystem.
TODAY’S MARKET DATA
EXCHANGE RATE OF THE NATIONAL LEU CURRENCY
| EUR 4.9754 | GBP 5.9532 |
| USD 4.5966 | CHF 5.2112 |
| BGN 2.5439 | MDL 0.2542 |
(Source: National Bank of Romania BNR)
BUCHAREST STOCK EXCHANGE (BVB) INDICES
| BET 0.30% BET-TR 0.30% BET-FI -0.55% BET-NG 0.14% BET-EF 0.34% BET-XT 0.18%, BET-BK -0.12% BET AeRO -0.23% ROTX 0.35% |
CAPITAL MARKET COMMENTARY
| The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) traded mixed on Tuesday with the BET index closing up 0.30%. Among the notable movers, Sphera Franchise Group led the blue-chip gainers as shares of the largest group in the Romanian food service industry jumped 2.66%. |
BET Index Constituents
| Company | Price | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| ANTIBIOTICE S.A. | 2.2100 | -1.78 |
| AQUILA PART PROD COM | 1.4200 | -0.70 |
| BANCA TRANSILVANIA S.A. | 28.8000 | 1.23 |
| BRD – GROUPE SOCIETE GENERALE S.A. | 18.4200 | 0.00 |
| C.N.T.E.E. TRANSELECTRICA | 44.2000 | 0.34 |
| Digi Communications N.V. | 67.0000 | -0.59 |
| FONDUL PROPRIETATEA | 0.3770 | -0.68 |
| MedLife S.A. | 6.2000 | 1.47 |
| OMV PETROM S.A. | 0.7310 | 0.07 |
| ONE UNITED PROPERTIES | 19.5000 | 0.62 |
| Premier Energy PLC | 19.2200 | -0.41 |
| PURCARI WINERIES PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED | 15.0000 | -0.66 |
| S.N. NUCLEARELECTRICA S.A. | 39.7000 | -0.87 |
| S.N.G.N. ROMGAZ S.A. | 5.9700 | 0.00 |
| S.N.T.G.N. TRANSGAZ S.A. | 28.6500 | 0.53 |
| S.P.E.E.H. HIDROELECTRICA S.A. | 122.2000 | 0.33 |
| SOCIETATEA ENERGETICA ELECTRICA S.A. | 12.5000 | 0.64 |
| Sphera Franchise Group | 42.5000 | 2.66 |
| TERAPLAST SA | 0.3920 | -1.01 |
| TTS (TRANSPORT TRADE SERVICES) | 4.2500 | -3.63 |
