South East European markets headed into the weekend higher with Istanbul leading the gains. Athens bucked the trend with the ATHEX Composite index plunging 2.11%. In Greece, no more than 50,000 local enterprises are thought creditworthy by domestic lenders, Kathimerini reported citing bank executives. In Romania, the central bank raised its benchmark interest rate to 5.50% from the current rate of 4.75%, the seventh consecutive rate hike, pushing the borrowing costs to the highest since February 2012. The move surprised markets that were expecting a 100bps hike. Policymakers expect Romania’s economy to enter a broad stall in Q2 and Q3 amid the impact of the war in neighboring Ukraine.
1. ATHENS – ATHEX -2.11%
2. BELGRADE – BELEX15 0.12%
3. BUCHAREST – BET 0.12%
4. ISTANBUL – BIST 100 0.98%
5. LJUBJLANA – SBITOP 0.72%
6. NICOSIA – CSE GI 0.16%
7. PODGORICA – MNSE 10 0.27%
8. SARAJEVO – SASX10 0.03%
9. SKOPJE – MBI 10 0.07%
10. SOFIA – SOFIX 0.25%
11. ZAGREB – CROBEX Closed
