BUDAPEST: The Budapest Stock Exchangeʼs main BUX index finished up 0,23% at 22,588.99 Friday after rising 0.97% Thursday. It is up 35.80% from year-end, after losing 10.40% last year. Over July, it increased 3.13%. The summer holiday season, a technical glitch in the morning, narrow range trade in eurozone markets and mixed domestic data kept the Budapest bourse in check on the last day of the week and the month.
Corporate lending stock of Hungarian banks fell in June from the previous month on net repayments despite the central bankʼs continuing preferential Funding for Growth programme aimed at SMEs, fresh data from the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) showed on Friday.
Annual producer price inflation accelerated in June from May on export prices while deflation in domestic sales, continuous since September, 2013, eased a bit, fresh data out also on Friday showed. Previously, average producer prices fell from January through April in annual comparison. But month-on-month, the light producer price inflation slowed in May.
Permits issued for new home construction rose an annual 39.2% in the first half of this year, official statistics also showed on Friday, but actual new home completions fell 6.0%, and permits issued for non-residential buildings fell 21%. MOL announced the completion of the purchase of Italian ENIʼs downstream business in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, including the Agip retail chain. And the consortium of Slovak oil refiner Slovnaft, a 98.4% subsidiary of MOL, and Hungarian power grid operator MVM said they have improved their offer for the 66% stake Italyʼs Enel holds in Slovak electricity utility Slovenske Elektrarne.
