Financial markets

Norwegian utility company Statkraft said it has reduced its power trading operations in Turkey due to declining market liquidity and an unpredictable outlook.

Turkey’s Central Bank on Dec. 14 raised its late liquidity window rate by 0.50 basis points to 12.75 percent, keeping other rates on hold.

High inflation in Turkey and a surge in foreign borrowing by its banks could plunge the country into crisis as soon as next year, according to asset manager GAM, which has cleared its portfolio of all positions in Turkish assets.

The Turkish central bank said on Nov. 6 some 5.3 billion lira ($1.37 billion) of lira liquidity will be withdrawn from the market and some $1.4 billion of dollar liquidity provided to banks under a change in reserve requirements. 

The issue of Eurobank's covered bonds was completed successfully on Wednesday, marking the Greek lender's return to international markets for the first time since 2014.

The bond's yield ended up below 3 percent.

Bulgaria is a new frontier for real estate investors, with many South African companies already having invested in Poland, the largest economy in eastern Europe.

UK-based Hystead, which is co-owned by JSE-listed shopping centre owner Hyprop and PDI Investment, bought a highly rated mall in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, in July for €156m.

Senior Greek bank officials visiting Washington in the context of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have had contacts with major European and US lenders aimed at expanding their funding lines via the interbank market.

The covered bond issue by the National Bank of Greece was completed on Tuesday, becoming the first Greek lender to tap the market since 2014 and securing the amount of 750 million euros at a rate of just 2.9 percent, far below the original estimate for 3.25 percent.

The short-term foreign debt held by Turkey's private sector increased by $2 billion at the end of June from the end of 2016, the country's central bank announced on Aug. 16.    
    
Short-term loans - which must be paid within 12 months - reached $16.3 billion in the sector as of June, the Central Bank said in a statement.  

Dobroslav Bojovic, director of the Napred Razvoj company, has become the majority owner of Serbia's largest construction company, Energoprojekt.

Serbia's Central Securities Depository and Clearing House on Monday finalized the takeover bid.