SERBIA:

KMBN: Republic of Serbia to become majority owner of Komercijalna Banka?
Although the deadline for the sale of Komercijalna Banka expires soon, there’s a possibility of the Republic of Serbia becoming its majority owner instead of a private company. The Government of Serbia and the IMF agreed several months ago for the state to put Komercijalna Banka up for sale before June 30, 2019, and sell it by the end of 2019. This scenario, however, is not certain to take place. As Blic learns, the state might keep its share and even increase it by paying out other shareholders. Practically, Serbia, which owns a 41.7% stake in Komercijalna Banka, would buy the 24.4% stake belonging to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the 10% stake owned by the World Bank, that is, the IFC, one of its branches.
Source: Ekapija

Serbia has the slowest economic growth in the Balkans after Croatia and Greece
After Croatia and Greece, Serbia is the country with the slowest economic growth in the Balkans, and most probably in Europe as well, in the past ten years, says Vladimir Gligorov, an associate of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies. In his interview with Beta, he said that this is partly a consequence of the corrections of the exchange rate and the real income after 2008, as well as the fiscal consolidation since 2015. Both could have been better, so it can be said that the Serbian economic authorities have mostly done a very bad job at managing the economy in the past ten years – Gligorov said. He added that “Croatia has managed its economy even worse, whereas Greece has probably not had a better choice”.
Source: Ekapija

Export of 15 biggest exporters from Serbia higher than EUR 4 billion – Fiat and Zelezara still at the top of the list
The value of the export of the 15 biggest Serbian exporters in the first eleven months of 2018 reached EUR 4.1 billion. As the Ministry of Finance announces on its website, the biggest exporters are still Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in Kragujevac, with exports worth EUR 699.7 million, and HBIS Group, the owner of the Smederevo steel mill, with exports worth EUR 695.3 million. Naftna Industrija Srbije is third with EUR 436.5 million, followed by Tigar Tyres Pirot (EUR 365.8 million), Robert Bosch Belgrade (EUR 227 million) and Petrohemija Pancevo (EUR 199.8 million).
Source: Ekapija

REGION:

World Bank revises projection of growth of Serbian economy in 2018 up, global projection revised down
The World Bank has revised the projection of Serbia’s economic growth in 2018 up by 0.5% to 3.5% compared to the projection made in June, whereas the projection of the global growth has been revised down by 0.1% to 3.0%. The international creditor has kept the projection of the growth of the Serbian economy at 3.5% for 2019 and at 4.0% for 2020 and 2021 each in the latest Global Economic Prospects report, published on the World Bank’s website. At the same time, the report revises the projections of the growth of the global economy down by 0.1% for 2019 and 2020 each to 2.9% and 2.85% respectively.
Source: Ekapija

INO:

Dow posts 4-day winning streak as Fed meeting minutes confirm patience on rate hikes, Europe stocks close higher as China-US trade talks wrap up, Taylor Wimpey up 6%
Stocks rose in another volatile session on Wednesday after a summary of the Federal Reserve’s meeting in December reiterated comments from the central bank’s chairman from last week about patience regarding monetary policy.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 91.67 points to close at 23,879.12, posting its fourth straight day of gains. The S&P 500 advanced 0.4 percent to 2,584.96 — notching a four-day winning streak, which was its longest since September — as the tech and energy sectors outperformed. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.87 percent to 6,957.08 as Apple gained 1.7 percent. Energy gained 1.5 percent as a sector, boosted by a 5.2 percent in U.S. crude prices.
Investors also weighed the latest developments surrounding U.S.-China trade talks. Discussions over trade between mid-level officials from Washington and Beijing concluded on Wednesday. U.S. Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney said earlier on Wednesday that he thought negotiations “went just fine.” He added: “It’s been a good one for us. ”
Stocks in Europe closed in positive territory Wednesday after hitting a fresh three-week high, as investors grew confident that the U.S. and China will reach a trade agreement. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed up 0.6 percent, with autos and technology the best performing sectors on the back of the trade talks between Beijing and Washington.
Looking at some individual stock performances, AMS, a European supplier of Apple, recovered some losses after starting the day in the red. A report from Japanese publication Nikkei on Wednesday said that the iPhone maker had reduced production for three new iPhone models in the first quarter.
Source: CNBC