Page 6 - bne_newspaper_September_01_2017

The Regions This Week
September 1, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 6
Eastern Europe
Sales of Bentley in Russia were down by a third (32%) in January-July 2017 compared to the same period of 2016, according to the analytical agency Au- tostat. In the first seven months of 2017 the number of new Bentley cars sold in Russia was 131 units.
Ukraine completed an early grain harvest in 2017, threshing 37.3mn tonnes of various grains from an area of 9.6mn hectares, which is 100%
of the Kyiv government's forecast, according to a statement published by the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food on August 29.
US fast food chain Domino’s Pizza plans to open about 40 restaurants in Russia in 2017, CEO of the company in Russia, Guvenc Donmez, said on August 30, as cited by Prime. 28 new pizza joints already opened this year expanding the chain to 100 restaurants.
Moody's Investors Service upgraded the govern- ment of Ukraine's local and foreign currency is- suer and senior unsecured ratings to Caa2 from Caa3, and changed the rating outlook to positive from stable, the rating agency said on August 25.
Russia’s price inflation in the summer fell to a 14 year low on the back of falling fruit and veg costs, which only a few months ago were responsible for a spike in inflation. Annual inflation slowed to 3.4- 3.5% — significantly below the CBR’s 4% target.
Toyota's plant in St Petersburg increased ex- ports of its cars 80% y/y in January-June to 3003 units, the company said on August 29. Thanks to the launch of a new model, the RAV4 crossover, the plant's total output during the period was 112% up y/y to 34,465 units, of which RAV4 ac- counted for 18,203 vehicles.
Ukraine cut steel output by 12.9% year-on-
year to 1.81mn tonnes in July, according to the Worldsteel rating of 67 global steelmakers. The war-torn country has improved its position in the rating climbing to 12th position from 14th in June.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Belarus de- creased by 7.1% year-on-year to $883.5mn, in January-June 2017, according to the Belstat state statistics agency. According to official data, net FDI in Belarus decreased in 2016 to $1.307bn from $1.612bn in 2015, and $1.811bn in 2014.
Russia’s economic growth decelerated sharply to 1.5% y/y in July from 2.9% y/y in June, accord- ing to the economy ministry, as it hits its struc- tural limits again.
Russian conglomerate AFK Sistema an- nounced a second technical default on its liabili- ties worth RUB8.9bn (€127mn), the company said on August 28, in connection with its legal fight with state-owned oil major Rosneft. Sistema explained the default by the arrest of its stakes in mobile operator MTS, Medsi private healthcare chain and Bashkirian Power Grid Company.
In June, Russia’s crude output amounted to 10.18mn barrels per day, outpacing Saudi Ara- bia’s oil production by 2.3% (9.95mn barrels per day), Russia's state statistics service Rosstat said on August 25.
AFK Sistema said it does not intend to sell shares of Mobile TeleSystems to cover a RUB136bn ($2.3bn) fine imposed by a court against the com- pany in favour of state-owned oil major Rosneft.
The maker of Ukraine’s giant Antonov cargo planes saw its net profits fall year on year by two-thirds (66.59%) in the first six months of this year under Ukrainian accounting standards to UAH22.79mn ($893,000), Interfax reports.
Building and infrastructure contractor Mosto- trest reported 4.7-fold year-on-year surge in net IFRS profit to RUB2.2bn (€31mn) in Janu- ary-June 2017, the company said on August 29. Mostotrest, a 'stoligarch' company owned by the influential Rotenberg family, already quintupled its profit in the first half of 2016.