The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold a combined HUF 45.0 billion of securities at auction on Thursday, raising its original offer by HUF 5.0 bln on strong demand for floating-rate bonds, state news wire MTI reported.

Union federation VDSZ reached an agreement over wages with the management of Korean tire maker Hankookʼs plant near Dunaújváros (central Hungary) late Thursday, ending a strike that started a little more than one week earlier.   

While the CEE market is a late adapter of zero carbon technologies, it presents opportunities for market expansion via innovative, cost-effective technologies, offering positive public health, quality of life, economic prosperity, and climate outcomes, says a report by the Prince of Walesʼs Corporate Leaders Group (CLG).

The Central European University (CEU), while welcoming a Bavarian offer of financial and technical support for a long-term partnership with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), says that it needs legal guarantees from the Hungarian government if the solution is to work.

E-tail company Extreme Digital is set to merge with eMAGʼs Hungarian subsidiary to form one of the largest players on the CEE e-commerce market, according to an announcement by Extreme Digital at a press conference attended by the Budapest Business Journal on Thursday.

Startup Safari, the annual festival introducing the world of startups in a real working environment with the proactive involvement of the audience, returns to Budapest on April 17-19 this year, and the Budapest Business Journal is offering no less than 30 free tickets for the event.

The “Garden Expo” exhibition awaits visitors this Friday to Sunday, March 22-24, at the László Papp Budapest Sports Arena, according to the eventʼs official website.

In a relative rarity for English-speaking theater-goers in Budapest, the Katona József Theater has announced upcoming performances with English subtitles of plays by Ibsen and Gogol.

Wabererʼs International Nyrt. reported an after-tax loss of EUR 20.9 million in 2018, compared to after-tax profit of EUR 18.4 mln in 2017. In an earnings report issued late Tuesday, the new CEO outlined steps to reduce loss-making and make cost cuts.   

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 40 billion of bonds maturing in 2026 and 2028 at a switch auction on Wednesday, accepting bonds expiring in 2020 as payment, state news wire MTI reported.

Hungaryʼs Parliament passed the Act on Foundation Trusts on March 5, with the main purpose of introducing the concept, to provide a legal framework in addition to already operating trusts, and to manage, preserve and enlarge private equity owned by families for future generations, says a press release from law firm Kinstellar.

Many fresh programs and several new animals await visitors for the new season at Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, which switched to its spring opening hours in March. Among the new species, Cuban crocodiles and several sharks have been added.   

The board of integrated real estate platform TriGranit has announced the appointment of Tom Lisiecki as the firmʼs new Chief Executive Officer, says a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

Since February this year, Liegl & Dachser customers in Hungary have been able to use a new direct international shipping route, running between Pilisvörösvár (NW of Budapest) and Strasbourg in France, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal. 

After record numbers in 2018, tourism in Hungary kept expanding in January, as tourists spent almost HUF 30 billion in domestic accommodation facilities, with hotels able to increase their revenues by nearly 10% compared to January last year.

Hungarian funk-rock-beat band The Qualitons has been invited for an in-studio performance on March 22 hosted by the popular Seattle alternative radio station KEXP, recorder.blog.hu reported.

The Hungarian government launched a website on Tuesday that aims to keep Hungarian nationals in the U.K. and British nationals in Hungary informed of the impact of the U.K.ʼs impending divorce from the European Union, state news wire MTI reported.

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 20.0 billion of discount three-month T-bills at auction on Tuesday, lowering its original offer by HUF 5 bln.   

Government-friendly conservative channel Echo TV will cease independent operations starting April 2019 and become part of the similarly pro-government Hír TV, with several of Echo TVʼs programs set to be continued after the merger, news portal Index.hu reports.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce for Hungary (CCIU) is holding an event today, March 19, entitled "Focus Hungary," in cooperation with business association Confindustria Macerata, and in collaboration with the Hungarian Embassy in Italy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pest County.