SERBIA:

February public debt at 23.15 bln euros, 50.4 pct of GDP
Serbia's February public debt was down to 23.15 bln euros from 23.17 bln euros in January, according to figures released by the Ministry of Finance Thursday. The debt-to-GDP ratio in February was 50.4 pct - slightly less than 50.6 pct in the previous month. The February debt-to-GDP ratio was 3.4 pct lower than in December 2018, when it stood at 53.8 pct. The debt-to-GDP ratio was at its lowest in 2008, when, with a nominal value of 8.78 bln euros, it stood at 28.3 pct. It hit a historic high in 2000, when it amounted to 201.2 pct of GDP.
Source: Tanjug

Government in Belgrade considers launching arbitration procedure because of Pristina taxes
The government in Belgrade is considering launching arbitration procedure because of the additional tariffs on Serbian products that Pristina authorities introduced last November and thus violated the CEFTA agreement, writes Vecernje Novosti daily. As the daily reports, this option has been considered since the February 25 when the deadline of 90 days since Serbia sent sent a formal request to the Secretariat of CEFTA for direct consultations within the joint committee expired. When this request was sent, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced that Serbia would initiate proceedings before the Arbitral Tribunal unless the problem is resolved within the following three months, the daily reminds.
Source: Ekapija

Budget surplus reached RSD 22.2bn in two months 2019
Public budget surplus in two months of 2019 amounted to RSD 22.2bnm Serbian Ministry of Finance reported yesterday. Public income was at RSD 207bn, while costs side reached RSD 184.8bn. According to 2019 projection, public budget should see RSD 22.9bn deficit, which is 0.4% of GDP.
Source: Tanjug, Ilirika

INO:

Dow climbs more than 150 points, S&P 500 posts first 6-day winning streak in over a year, European stocks close lower, FTSE MIB falls after reports Italy could cut 2019 GDP forecast
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose on Thursday as investors awaited for more news on a potential trade deal between China and the U.S. The 30-stock index traded 100 points higher, led by a 2.4% gain in Boeing. The other major indexes struggled, however, as the S&P 500 dipped 0.1% while the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4%.
Tesla shares dropped about 8% after the company said it delivered fewer-than-expected Model 3 cars in the first quarter. Facebook shares rose 1.5% after Guggenheim upgraded the social media company to buy from neutral, citing “stable” user trends and investors feeling more comfortable with the company’s privacy issues.
European stocks closed lower on Thursday, as traders monitored developments from ongoing U.S.-China trade talks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index ended the session 0.3 percent lower, with sectors and major bourses mostly in negative territory.
Italy’s FTSE MIB index slipped 0.2 percent after Bloomberg reported the government of the euro zone’s third-largest economy could soon cut its gross domestic product (GDP) forecast to 0.1 percent this year, down from a 1 percent expansion forecast in December.
Commerzbank also rose after a report said Italian lender UniCredit was planning a rival bid for the bank in the event that merger talks with Deutsche Bank break down. Shares of Germany’s second-largest bank climbed 2.8 percent in afternoon trade.
Source: CNBC