Page 127 - RusRPTNov18

type. The head of Russian space agency Roskosmos Dmitri Rogozin told the daily that "despite the disagreements, the mutually beneficial partnerships are not going to be broken." Sources in the industry told Kommersant that negotiations "were not easy" with the background of deteriorating US-Russia relations. The daily reminded that after the annexation of Crimea the US Congress tried to ban the use of Russian engines, which was opposed by the Pentagon that is unlikely to have US-produced analogues until 2025. Russian lawmakers also discussed banning engine sales to US as retaliatory measures.
Russia's leading private provider of women and children healthcare services MD Medical Group is showing worsening operating results across key segments for the first three quarters of 2018 , which had analysts worsen the outlook on the company. In previous years improved operational results for MDMG and other private healthcare services providers underscored demand for quality medical services by Russian middle class, despite the slowdown in the Russian economy. In deliveries, births in Russia are down for the second successive year while the company’s prices (RUB0.14mn-0.39mn in 1H18) are high at a time when household budgets are under pressure, VTB commented. At the same time the accessibility of IVF(in-vitro fertilisation) spiked following the 10x surge in the number of subsidised cycles, to 60,000, 60% of the market, having MDMG face off more commercial clinics in the segment. Births fell 5% year-on-year through August from a low base (down 11% y/y in 2017), while the IVF segment faces stiffer competition and state MHI financing is increasingly available, VTB sums up, expecting deliveries and IVF to go down 5% y/y and 20% y/y in 2018 respectively, "with vague recovery prospects."
Russia's largest petrochemical holding Sibur increased Ebitda by 30% year-on-year to RUB150.2bn ($2.3bn) in January-September 2018 under IFRS, the company said on November 1. The boost in earnings was attributed to the growing segment of gas refining, where prices for nafta and liquefied hydrocarbon gases increased.
127 RUSSIA Country Report November 2018 www.intellinews.com