August saw business return to usual in Mongolia as those in the countryside for an extended Naadam holiday returned to the city. This was followed by a high level visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Ulaanbaatar from August 21 to 22. Multiple agreements in infrastructure and mining were signed and now need to be… Continue Reading
Category Archives: News
Russian Pension Fund’s 2015 budget to have $8.1bn hole due to investment moratorium
By Andrei Skvarsky. Due to a current moratorium on the investment of pension system money, Russia’s Pension Fund will not get 309bn rubles ($8.1bn) it was planned to receive from the state in 2015, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has announced. Continue Reading
THE IMPACT ON THE EBRD REGION OF RUSSIA’S FOOD BAN
Russia imposed a ban on food imports from the West, including 11 EBRD countries where the EBRD invests, in early August. The one-year import ban on fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy products from the EU, the US, Australia, Canada and Norway was part of its reaction to the West’s own sanctions imposed as… Continue Reading
Rusnano and RusHydro to set up $200m venture fund for energy development
Rusnano, Russia’s nanotech giant, and RusHydro, the largest national hydroelectric power company, are in talks over the planned setup of a $200m VC fund. The parties intend to split the cost of establishing the fund on a 50/50 basis, the Russian news agency MA-agency.ru reported, citing Rusnano president Anatoly Chubais. Continue Reading
Russia-China Investment Fund (RKIF) reached an agreement to invest in a leading chain of stores selling products for children "Children's World"
September 9, 2014 Russia-China Investment Fund (RKIF) has reached an agreement in principle to invest in the company, “Children’s World”, is a major player in the sector of specialized network of trade in goods for children in Russia. To date, 100% of the share capital of the company is controlled by AFK “System”. Continue Reading
Mail.ru Group has placed part of its stake in the group Qiwi
Mail.ru Group has sold most of its stake in the group Qiwi, control of Russia’s largest system of instant payments . Mail.ru Group could realize 4% stake Qiwi from 2.8 percent discount to the market price, generated $ 80 million. Total investment in Qiwi, in which Internet holding company once owned a 25% stake, he… Continue Reading
EBRD PLEDGES FURTHER SUPPORT TO INDEPENDENT UKRAINIAN BREWER
The shareholders of an independent Lviv-based brewer Persha Privatna Brovarnia (PPB) including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which has over two decades of successful investment experience in the Ukrainian brewing industry, are financing another project aimed at supporting one of the most vibrant agribusiness subsectors in the country. Through this latest investment… Continue Reading
RENAISSANCE CAPITAL APPOINTS NEW CO-HEAD OF INVESTMENT BANKING, RUSSIA
Renaissance Capital has appointed Maxim Arefyev as Managing Director, Co-Head of Investment Banking, Russia. Arefyev will lead the origination and execution of M&A, equity and debt capital markets transactions in the Russia & CIS space, across consumer, retail, agriculture and other sectors, alongside Anton Cherny, Co-Head of Investment Banking, Russia. Continue Reading
EBRD REDUCES STAKE IN POLAND’S LEADING TELECOMS/MEDIA PLATFORM CYFROWY POLSAT
The EBRD has reduced its stake in Cyfrowy Polsat, Poland’s leading media and telecommunications companies, by selling 33 per cent of its shares. The partial sale reflects the Bank’s continuing commitment to the company and its successful development. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Maldives
The Maldives, an archipelago nation consisting of over 1,000 islands in the Indian Ocean, has experienced consistent economic growth throughout the latter part of the last decade with annual real GDP growth averaging 6%. Continue Reading
Moscow Exchange says got through Q2 with flying colours
By Andrei Skvarsky. Moscow Exchange ended tjis year’s second quarter with financial results described by its chief executive as its “best quarterly numbers”to date. Continue Reading
Warsaw bourse says unaffected by presumed cyber attack from Ukraine rebels
By Andrei Skvarsky. The website of the Warsaw Stock Exchange was temporarily paralysed on August 14 by a presumed hacking attack from eastern Ukrainian pro-Russia rebels, but the bourse said none of its trade had been affected. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Canrim Resources hails new Mongolian minerals legislation
Amendments to Mongolia’s 2006 Minerals Law lifting a four-year ban on new mineral resource exploration licences and extending the validity of such licenses to 12 from nine years are the focal point of July’s newsletter of Mongolia-focused Singaporean mining company Canrim Resources. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Mongolia
Although Mongolia is the least densely populated country in the world, with less than 3 million people living in a land area of 1.5 million km², the country has the potential to see the greatest growth of any market within the AFC Asia Frontier Universe. Continue Reading
Sberbank forecast: Russia’s GDP to grow by 0.2% for 2014, by 1.5% for 2015
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, says the country’s GDP will most likely show a growth of 0.2% for 2014. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: EU’s anti-Russian sanctions to be partially offset by oil prices but threaten investment banking with uncertainty – Deutsche Boerse's MNI Indicators
Shaily Mittal, an economist at MNI Indicators, a research unit of Deutsche Boerse’s news and intelligence subsidiary MNI, talks to EmergingMarkets.me about the European Union’s latest sanctions against Russia and the latter’s retaliation. Continue Reading
Sberbank, VTB: no shares of sanctions-affected types to be issued
By Andrei Skvarsky. Sberbank and VTB, Russia’s two main banks, have announced they have no plans to issue shares of types that European investors are forbidden to buy from them under sanctions imposed by the European Union on the two state-controlled lenders on July 29. Continue Reading
EXCLUSIVE: Khaled Anabtawi, founder and manager of the Jordanian unit of online real estate firm Lamudi, talks about the Middle East property market in this interview with EmergingMarkets.me
What is the background of Lamudi? Could you describe the company’s presence in Jordan? Lamudi , the emerging market real estate classifieds player, officially launched operations in 13 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America in October 2013. Less than one year later, we are present in 28 countries. As the online real estate market… Continue Reading
Runa Capital Managing Partner Dmitry Chikhachev: “Discriminating in business or science by country of origin is equally irrelevant”
As Runa Capital announced the launch of its second fund, Runa Capital II, with a focus on Europe, its managing partner Dmitry Chikhachev shared with East-West Digital News his views on the globalization of the startup and venture industry and the international positioning of his fund, which initially focused on Russia. Continue Reading
The Funds of KCM’s group invest in Chaplin Cinemas network
ADM Capital’s funds, KCRF and KGF, members of a group of funds with the participation of Kazyna Capital Management JSC (owned by National Management Holding “Baiterek” JSC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announce completion of the acquisition of the controlling stake in Chaplin Cinemas network. Continue Reading
DST launches 4th international tech fund
DST Global, a large Russian IT-focused fund controlled by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, has launched its fourth investment fund, DST Global IV. The news wasreported earlier this month by East-West Digital News, the first all English-language online resource dedicated to Russian digital industries, based on U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission documents. Continue Reading
EBRD STATEMENT ON OPERATIONAL APPROACH IN RUSSIA
A majority of the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), including all EU member states and several non-EU shareholders, have given clear guidance to the EBRD management that, for the time being, they will be unable to approve new investment projects in the Russian Federation. Continue Reading
VTB Capital appoints new interim CEO
Nick Hutt has been appointed interim CEO of VTB Capital plc. He is a key member of the VTB Capital team and has been working in the London office since 2008 as CFO of the company’s international business. Atanas Bostandjiev will be leaving his current position to pursue other business opportunities. Continue Reading
US imposes new sanctions on Russia
The Obama administration on Wednesday widened sanctions against Russia to punish its government for contributing to violence in Ukraine. Continue Reading
Moscow-based Runa Capital to invest up to $200 million in European startups
Runa Capital, a Moscow-based global tech-focused venture capital firm, announced yesterday the first closing of its new fund, Runa Capital II. With a target size of $200 million, the firm will continue investing in tech-based companies worldwide, focusing especially on Europe. The amount of the first closing has not been disclosed. Continue Reading
Middle East Investors Expected To Spend Us$180 Billion In Global Real Estate Markets Over Next Decad
Middle Eastern investors are expected to spend US$180 billion in commercial real estate markets outside of their own region over the next decade, according to the latest research from global property advisor CBRE. Continue Reading
Utinet.ru, e96.ru and Sotmarket.ru merge into one listed company
Source – East-West Digital News Utinet.ru, e96.ru and Sotmarket, three major Russian e-commerce companies, announced yesterday the completion of their merger process – started last year – into an integrated company, christened “Platform Utinet.Ru.” Part of the company’s stock is being floated on the Moscow exchange following Utinet’s IPO in 2011. Continue Reading
ASIA FRONTIER CAPITAL – Country Snapshot – Cambodia
After decades of political mismanagement and civil war, Cambodia has recently begun to capitalize on its economic potential. Since adopting free-market economic policies in the 1990’s and increasing its integration within the international community, Cambodia’s economy has flourished. Continue Reading
EBRD PARTICIPATES IN KAZAKH RAILWAYS EUROBOND
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has participated in a bond issuance by Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). The Bank participated in the longer-term tranche of the Eurobond. Continue Reading