INO:

Nasdaq crosses 9,000, Dow and S&P 500 notch new highs as year-end rally rolls on

Stocks climbed Thursday, hitting record highs as the market rallied into the end of 2019. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 105.94 points, or 0.37%, to 28,621.39, while the S&P 500 climbed 0.51% to 3,239.91. The Nasdaq Composite finished the day 0.78% higher at 9,022.39, topping the 9,000 mark for the first time ever. U.S. weekly jobless claims decreased 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 222,000 for the week ended Dec. 21, the Labor Department said Thursday. The number is slightly higher than estimates of 220,000 in a Dow Jones poll of economists.
Source: CNBC

SERBIA:

Baumeister wants 100 pct stake in Backaput

Belgrade-based road construction company Baumeister has made an offer to buy over 178,000 shares of Vojvodinaput-Backaput at 100 dinars per share, the Belgrade Stock Exchange has announced. Baumeister, an independent company, already has an 83.3 pct stake in Novi Sad-based Vojvodinaput-Backaput and aims to purchase the remaining shares. According to the takeover bid, Baumeister intends to improve Vojvodinaput-Backaput operations and maintain its present activity, continue the implementation of its development plan and work on improving the employees' working conditions and material standing. The Register of Shares and Stakes has a 12.1 stake in the company while the Nis Road Company has a 4.1 pct stake. The bid is valid until January 15, 2020.
Source: Tanjug

Serbia could see 6 pct growth in 2020, Vucic tells World Bank officials

President Aleksandar Vucic told a World Bank delegation on Thursday that Serbia could see its GDP grow at a rate of up to six percent next year. Vucic told a meeting with World Bank Western Balkans Country Director Linda Van Gelder that he supports the continuity of talks with the World Bank with the aim of continuing the necessary structural reforms, the president’s press service said. “The goal of those reforms is a sustainable GDP growth in the next five year period at an annual level of four to six percent. Our current growth of four percent is exceptionally good for the region but Serbia is capable of continuing that trend and reaching six percent growth next year,” Vucic is quoted as saying.
Source: N1

Finance Minister: 250 million in budget to build stadium

Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali told the Kurir tabloid on Thursday that the 2020 state budget includes 250 million Euro to build a national football stadium. He said that four offers to build the stadium have been submitted at tender. “The project will raise up that part of Belgrade since the master plan covers 600 hectares. It will include housing, business areas, amusement parks… Sports stopped being just sports long ago, it’s a business,” he said. The minister said that nine new stadiums were being built across Serbia.
Source: N1