The patchy performance of the economies of the countries in Southeast Europe (SEE) proved a drag on the region’s insurance industry in 2013, leading to a drop of 2.0% to 6.2 billion euro in the combined gross written premiums (GWP) of the entrants in the 2013 edition of the SEE TOP 100 insurers ranking compared to the companies that made the 2012 cut. Read more

• Market consolidation, spread of private labels and discounters in focus
• Agrokor/Mercator deal to have strong impact on retail landscape
• Most SEE grocery markets offer room for M&As Read more

Energy companies continued to dominate the 2013 SEE money losers ranking with 13 representatives, unchanged from a year earlier. Serbian state-owned gas monopoly Srbijagas remained the biggest money loser in the region, its loss widening to 434.9 million euro. Read more

Slovenian companies continue to dominate the SEE TOP 100 per capita ranking but their lead is dwindling, with Croatia and Serbia slowly closing the gap. Almost half the entrants in the ranking are energy companies. Read more

Most of the lenders in the SEE TOP 100 banks ranking closed 2013 in the black but the overall loss of the sector widened to 2.18 billion euro, due to the heavy losses booked by Slovenian banks. With the exception of Slovenia, the banking system in Southeast Europe (SEE), however, managed to stay stable, although continuing to struggle with high non-performing loan (NPL) ratios, weak lending growth and subdued economic growth. The ranking was dominated by Romanian lenders, which accounted for nearly a quarter of the total assets of the banks in the region. Read more

Romania had the highest number of entrants in the ranking of the most profitable companies in Southeast Europe (SEE) in 2013. The best represented industry in the ranking was energy, with nine companies. Read more

The oil and gas industry, the biggest in the region, posted a slight decline in total revenue and a sharp fall in profit. Pharmaceuticals remained the most profitable industry with a 13.35% return on revenue. Read more

Energy companies booked the majority of Southeast Europe’s heftiest corporate losses in 2012 as 13 oil, gas and electricity firms made the TOP 20 money losers ranking of predominantly heavy-industry entries.
Companies that turned 2011 bottom lines into SEE’s biggest losses took the top four spots in the 2012 standings. Read more

The transport infrastructure of SEE consists of national transport systems and a number of integrated international networks that upon their completion should ensure quick and unhampered movement of people and goods across Europe. This makes the integrated European transport system a key prerequisite for the seamless operation of the internal market and for the economic, social and territorial cohesion of the European countries. Read more

SEE hosts 61 business schools across ten countries, according to compiled data in a survey carried out by SeeNews Research & Profiles on MBA training in English in the region. These universities offer some 90 MBA programmes, either full-time or part-time. While not widespread, distance learning, which provides more flexibility, is also available. Read more

Given the difficulties faced by the eurozone and the disastrous macroeconomic conditions in Greece and Italy, the stable picture in SEE suggests that smaller boats could survive more easily in rough waters. Read more

Romanian and Croatian companies asserted their dominance at the lead of SEE publicly traded companies, the 2012 ranking by market cap showed. Read more

Natural gas pipeline development is indispensable for Europe as a whole and for SEE in particular. Read more

The pharmaceutical industry in the SEE region is continuing to show growth contrary to the general trend in Europe, bolstering the notion that it is one of the most resilient sectors. Read more

Sector players operating in SEE are trying to survive amid policy uncertainty and retrospective changes in legislation, falling subsidies and reluctant financing. Yet, a quick browse through news headlines from the first half of 2013 shows that interest in renewable energy is picking up in SEE. Read more

The nature of the modern knowledge economy has changed the way we perceive physical spaces. Contemporary cities are increasingly viewed not only as geographic and economic entities, but also as brands, shaped and popularized by the experience they offer to both locals and visitors. Read more

The global economic slowdown of 2012 was far sharper than expected and its impact on the economies of Southeast Europe turned the spotlight on the region’s structural weaknesses whilst also exacerbating the effects of the eurozone debt crisis. For these economies, 2013 is a year of readjustment and renewing commitments to creating robust and sustainable economic growth, an approach which is forecast to result in more promising rates of real output in 2014. Read more

Croatian shipbuilder Brodosplit – Brodogradiliste d.o.o. topped the SeeNews 2012 ranking of the 20 most profitable companies in SEE for a second year running as oil and gas operators moved up the standings dominated by 11 Romanian companies. Read more

The stock markets in SEE closed 2012 on a positive note as the majority of the TOP 100 public companies saw their market value increase and the blue-chip indices reversed their downward trend. Read more

Romania’s Banca Comerciala Romana (BCR) emerged again as the best-performing lender in terms of assets in the TOP 100 banks ranking for 2012, retaining its number one position for a third consecutive year. Overall, 2012 saw no reshuffle in the top-five and all of them were successful in keeping the positions they had secured the previous year. Read more