SERBIA:

IMF confirms Serbia's 2018 GDP growth forecast
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday Serbia's economy will grow by 3.5% in 2018, confirming its earlier forecasts. In 2019, Serbia's gross domestic product (GDP) is also expected to grow by 3.5%, IMF said in the April edition of its World Economic Outlook (WEO) report. The 2018 growth forecast affirms both the projection made in the IMF staff report on Serbia published in December and the forecast made in the November WEO report. Serbia's harmonised consumer price inflation is seen at 2.7% in 2018 and 3.0% in 2019, according to the April WEO report. Unemployment is projected to fall to 14% at end-2019, from 14.6% in 2017. Serbia’s current account balance calculated as percentage of GDP is projected at a negative 4.5% in 2018 and negative 4.1% in 2019.
Source: SeeNews

Banks in Serbia record ten-year high in earnings
Banks in Serbia realized a profit exceeding RSD 60 billion (around half a billion euros) in 2017. This is a ten-year high, that is, the best result since the global economic crisis, and it was achieved despite a drastic drop in interest rates, Politika writes. There has been a shift at the top of the list of the most profitable banks. The biggest profit, amounting to RSD 12 billion, was realized by AIK Bank. It nearly doubled its profit over a year`s period, rising from the fourth spot in 2016 to the top of the 2017 list. Banca Intesa was dethroned after years of heading the list, placing second in 2017. This doesn`t mean that its earnings are lower, though. The financial reports show that it earned RSD 11.8 billion last year, which is a fifth more than 2016. Komercijalna Banka is in the third spot, after heading the list of the banks with the biggest losses in the two preceding years. It is back to operating in the plus, with a profit of as much as RSD 8.1 billion. Let us remind that, in 2016, the bank operated with a loss in that amount.
Source: Ekapija

EC’s latest report on Serbia’s progress
In its latest report about the progress that the Western Balkans have made in the EU-related reforms, the European Commission assessed that Serbia has made progress in accession negotiations with the EU, but that the overall pace of negotiations will depend, in particular, on the progress made in the rule of law and normalization of relations with Kosovo.
Source: Serbiamonitor

REGION:

Slovenian SBITOP up 0.25%
SBITOP index was up 0.25%, while daily gainer was Mercator, with 11.2% jump. It was followed with Petrol, since it gained 0.86% yesterday. Tog looser was Gorenje, with 0.96% drop, while most traded name was Triglav, with EUR 150th in volume.
Source: Ilirika

INO:

S&P 500 and Nasdaq rise on earnings, but Dow closes lower as IBM falters, Europe closes in positive territory amid earnings, jump in commodities
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite rose on Wednesday as some of the biggest U.S. companies reported strong quarterly results, lifting investor sentiment.
The broad index gained 0.1 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 0.2 percent to finish the session at 7,295.24. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 38.56 points to 24,748.07, however, as steep losses from IBM pushed the 30-stock index lower.
United Airlines posted better-than-expected results for the first quarter, sending its stock higher by nearly 5 percent. Morgan Stanley reported a record profit and revenue for the first quarter, as its trading business did better than expected. Shares of the investment bank climbed more than 1 percent before closing flat.
IBM reported Tuesday earnings and revenue that topped analyst expectations, but investors were left disappointed with the company's forward-looking guidance. Shares of IBM fell 7.5 percent and had their worst day since Oct. 24, 2014, when they dropped 7.6 percent.
European equities finished in the black on Wednesday, as a strong boost in commodity stocks boosted investor sentiment. The pan-European STOXX 600 ended the session higher, up 0.29 percent provisionally, while sectors showed a mixed picture by the close.
Basic resources stocks soared ahead of fellow industries on Wednesday, finishing trade up 4.37 percent as a sector. Polymetal International flew to the top of the European benchmark, jumping 12 percent, after reporting a 19 percent rise in year-on-year revenue for the first-quarter.
Continental AG slumped 4 percent, after the group stated that it had lowered its full-year outlook, revealing that inventory valuation and exchange rate effects would have a negative hit to earnings in the first half of the year.
Energy firm Total popped 1.6 percent, after it agreed to buy competitor Direct Energie on Wednesday, in a transaction valued at 1.4 billion euros ($1.7 billion). The move could give the firm more ammunition to compete with French energy provider EDF.
Source: CNBC, Ilirika