Finance

Ratings

Rating Season Kicks off Strongly for Hungary

The beginning of the review season has brought not one but two upgrades for Hungary. First, S&P lifted its rating,...

MNB

Higher revenue, improved margins boost Masterplast profit

Net income of bourse-listed Hungarian building materials maker Masterplast rose 16% to EUR 3.03 million last year, lifted by higher...

Debt

ÁKK buys back HUF 12.4 bln of bonds early at reverse auction

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) bought back HUF 12.4 billion of bonds expiring in 2020 before maturity at a...

Debt

ÁKK sells HUF 25 bln of 3-month T-bills, as planned

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 25 billion of discount three-month T-bills at auction on Tuesday, in line...

Ratings

Fitch upgrades Hungary to ’BBB’; outlook ’stable’

Fitch Ratings raised Hungaryʼs long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) from "BBB-" to "BBB" at a scheduled...

Debt

ÁKK sells HUF 42 bln of securities at auction, over plan

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold a combined HUF 42.0 billion of securities at auction on Thursday, raising its...

MNB

The Case for Gold as an Investment: Part I

In the first installment of a three-part series, Les Nemethy and Sergey Glekov of Euro-Phoenix look at just how good...

MNB

Debt Levels: Have we Learned the Lessons of 2008?

In this regular biweekly column, Les Nemethy of Central European corporate finance firm Euro-Phoenix questions whether the world really has...

Debt

ÁKK sells HUF 40 bln of bonds at switch auction, as planned

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 40 billion of bonds maturing in 2026 and 2028, accepting bonds expiring...

Ratings

S&P raises ratings of OTP, OTP Mortgage Bank

S&P Global Ratings on Tuesday said it raised its long and short-term resolution counterparty ratings (RCRs) on Hungaryʼs OTP Bank...

Debt

ÁKK sells HUF 25 bln of 3-month T-bills, as planned

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 25.0 billion of discount three-month T-bills at auction on Tuesday, in line...

Ratings

S&P upgrades Hungary to ’BBB’; outlook ’stable’

Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings, one of the three big ratings agencies, has upgraded Hungary’s sovereign rating to "BBB," two...

MNB

Hungaryʼs state debt 70.9% of GDP, including Eximbank

Hungaryʼs national debt as a percentage of GDP reached 70.9% at the end of last year, down from 73.4% at...

Banking

Economic growth up 5% in fourth quarter of 2018

The gross domestic product of Hungary was up by 5.0% according to raw data, and by 4.8% according to seasonally...

Debt

ÁKK sells HUF 90 bln of bonds at auction, over plan

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold a combined HUF 90.0 billion of bonds at auction on Thursday, HUF 25.0...

Banking

OTP Says Exposure Limited as Paraguay’s Ueno Bank Enters Insolvency

OTP Bank said its USD 47 million investment in Paraguay’s Ueno Bank represents a small exposure for the Hungarian lender...

Ratings

Fitch Sees Hungary’s Deficit Narrowing but Debt Burden Rising

Hungary’s budget deficit is expected to narrow and growth to accelerate in 2027, but rising debt and fiscal vulnerabilities continue...

MNB

MNB Cites Global Uncertainty Behind September Rate Hold

Global economic uncertainty constrained Hungary’s monetary policy room for maneuver, the National Bank of Hungary’s (MNB) Monetary Council agreed at...

OTP Says Exposure Limited as Paraguay’s Ueno Bank Enters Insolvency

OTP Bank said its USD 47 million investment in Paraguay’s Ueno Bank represents a small exposure for the Hungarian lender...

What Happens Next to What We’ve Built? New Challenges in Family Wealth Planning

Building a successful family business takes decades of work, but its future also depends on how carefully the transfer of...

Hungarian Banks Seek Gradual Reduction in 45% Effective Tax Burden

Hungarian banks hope for a “slow but certain” reduction in their tax burden, Hungarian Banking Association President Radovan Jelasity said...

MNB Probe Widens as International Arrest Warrant Issued for Ádám Matolcsy

International arrest warrants have been issued for Ádám Matolcsy, son of former Hungarian central bank Governor György Matolcsy, and businessman...

MNB Holds Base Rate at 5.5%, Maintains Symmetric Interest Rate Corridor

The Monetary Council of the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) left the base rate unchanged at 5.5% at its monthly...

Gránit Bank Hit by Largest Loan Loss Provision in Its History

Gránit Bank reported an additional approximately HUF 9.4 billion loan loss provision in the third quarter of 2026, the largest...

Fitch Sees Hungary’s Deficit Narrowing but Debt Burden Rising

Hungary’s budget deficit is expected to narrow and growth to accelerate in 2027, but rising debt and fiscal vulnerabilities continue...

MNB Cites Global Uncertainty Behind September Rate Hold

Global economic uncertainty constrained Hungary’s monetary policy room for maneuver, the National Bank of Hungary’s (MNB) Monetary Council agreed at...

MNB International Reserves Fall to EUR 62.1 bln in September

The National Bank of Hungary’s (MNB) international reserves stood at EUR 62.061 bln at the end of September, down EUR...

K&H Bank and Mastercard Extend Strategic Partnership Through 2030

K&H Bank and Mastercard have extended their exclusive strategic partnership through 2030, with plans to expand personalized digital financial services...

OTP Forecasts Hungary’s GDP Growth at 1.7% in 2026, 2.5% in 2027

Hungary’s economy could expand by 1.7% this year and 2.5% in 2027, with household consumption driving growth in 2026, according...

Hungary Posts EUR 481 mln Trade Deficit as Import Volumes Jump 13%

Hungary recorded a EUR 481 million goods trade deficit in August as import volumes rose 13% year-on-year while export volumes...

Bayer Construct Gets Default Ratings After Bankruptcy Protection Filing

Scope Ratings has assigned default ratings to Bayer Construct following its bankruptcy protection filing, citing financial pressure linked partly to...

Former Central Bank Governor Matolcsy Questioned as Suspect in Erste Case

Police have questioned seven suspects, including former National Bank of Hungary Governor György Matolcsy, in an investigation into alleged abuse...

MNB to Lower Inflation Target to 2.5% From 2028, Holds Base Rate at 5.5%

The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) will lower its inflation target to 2.5% from Jan. 1, 2028, while retaining its...