Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Wholesale prices for tomatoes are falling in Ukraine

In Ukraine this week prices for imported tomatoes produced in Turkey have started to decrease, analysts of the EastFruit project report. The reason for this was a rather weak interest of wholesale companies and retail chains in the purchase of these products.

Today Ukrainian importers offer Turkish tomatoes for sale at 75-90 UAH/kg ($1.79-2.15/kg), depending on the quality and volume of batches, which is on average 14% cheaper than at the end of last week. At the same time, the supply of imported products is quite voluminous, while the demand for them is quite restrained. As a result, significant volumes of unsold products are accumulated in the warehouses of companies, due to which sellers are ready to concede in price.

Thus, during the week the supply of tomatoes from Turkey continued to increase, as a result of which the supply on the market remained excessive. Due to low sales rates, most wholesalers and retailers reduced the volume of tomato purchases and purchased new batches as the existing stocks were realized.

At the same time, it should be noted that prices for imported tomatoes in Ukraine are currently still 10% higher than in the same period last year. According to key market players, if the sales rates in the tomato segment do not accelerate in the near future, the decline in prices for these products may last until the end of February this year.

You can get more detailed information about market development of tomatoes and other horticultural products in Ukraine by subscribing to the operative analytical weekly – EastFruit Ukraine Weekly Pro. Detailed information about the product can be found here.

EastFruit

 

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Oleksandr Iaroslavskyi’s company continues to increase its stake in Oranta

NS-Finance LLC of Ukrainian businessman Oleksandr Iaroslavskyy has increased its stake in PJSC National Joint Stock Insurance Company Oranta (Kiev) from 74.848% to 80.161%. This LLC notified the insurer on February 11.

According to the message of NJSIC “Oranta” in the information disclosure system of the National Securities Commission (NSC), the highest price of acquisition of shares within 12 months preceding the day of acquisition of such block of shares, including the day of acquisition on February 10, 2025, was UAH 1.40. Acquisition of shares occurred in the process of issue.

As it was informed, the National Bank of Ukraine has confirmed to NJSIC ‘Oranta’ the compliance of the ownership structure with the requirements of transparency.

The decision was made taking into account the results of the additional issue of shares, which allowed to increase the authorized capital of the company by UAH 85 mln – up to UAH 244 mln and to increase the share of the shareholder NS-Finance LLC up to 80.1609%.

As a result of the issue 70,834 mln shares for the total amount of UAH 99,168 mln have been sold, from which UAH 85 mln have been directed directly to the authorized capital, and UAH 14,2 mln – to the additional capital of the company.

Oranta” Incorporated is the legal successor of Ukrgosstrakh, founded on November 25, 1921, and has been carrying out insurance activity in Ukraine for more than 100 years. The company has 33 licenses for compulsory and voluntary types of insurance, its network includes more than 400 representative offices, in the agency network there are more than 2000 insurance experts.

Since 1994 Oranta has been a full member of the ITSBU, and since 2003 – a member of the Nuclear Insurance Pool. The main shareholder is the Ukrainian business group DCH.

 

 

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Prices for apples falling in Ukraine

Ukraine has seen a decline in trading activity on the apple market, according to analysts of the EastFruit project. The current situation is explained by the fact that many producers have lost hope for another price increase in this segment and began to sell these fruits from storage. In this regard, the supply of apples on the market has increased significantly, and Ukrainian growers are forced to reduce prices for their products.

Currently, quality apples go on sale at 22-30 UAH/kg ($0.53-0.72/kg), which is on average 12% cheaper than at the end of the previous business week.

It is worth noting that despite the decline in selling prices, apples in Ukraine are currently on sale on average 48% more expensive than in the same period last year. At the same time, market operators do not rule out further price reductions in this segment, as the quality of apples in storage continues to deteriorate rapidly, and demand for these fruits remains rather low, given the high selling prices.

For more information on the development of the apple and other fruit and vegetable market in Ukraine, please subscribe to the operational analytical weeklyEastFruit Ukraine Weekly Pro. Detailed information about the product is available here.

Source: https://east-fruit.com/novosti/ukrainskie-sadovody-snizhayut-czeny-na-yabloki/

Zelenskyy announces visits to UAE and Saudi Arabia at Munich conference

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but he will not meet with the Russians or the Americans.

“I have an official visit to the Emirates with my wife, the first lady, because we have a large humanitarian program, and the issue of prisoner exchange. Secondly, after that, I will visit Saudi Arabia with the same issues and another partnership with His Royal Highness. It will be for two or three days. I will have three meetings with President Erdogan in Turkey. I will not meet with the Russians, but I will not meet with the Americans there either,” Zelenskyy told reporters at the Munich Security Conference.

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Sukha Balka is building solar power plant for Frunze mine

Sukha Balka Mine (Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro region), part of Aleksandr Yaroslavsky’s DCH Group, has launched a project to build a solar power plant at Frunze Mine.

As reported in DCH Steel’s corporate newspaper on Thursday, due to a constant shortage of generating capacity and restrictions on electricity consumption, the mine’s management decided to build its own power generation facilities.

“In June of this year, we plan to commission a power plant that will use an alternative source and provide electricity to Frunze mine. The power plant will have a capacity of 2 MW. While the design of the plant and the purchase of equipment are underway, construction has already begun at the mine,” said Igor Piltek, Deputy General Director and Chief Engineer of the mine.

According to him, a site for the installation of solar panels measuring about two hectares has already been prepared, and the surface has been planned. To build the power plant, it is necessary to install 2,740 solar panels.

The solar power plant will operate autonomously. According to forecasts, the equipment should pay for itself in four years.
Earlier, the Chief Engineer reported that energy-efficient projects are being implemented at the mine, in particular, the construction of a 2 MW solar power plant has begun, which is scheduled to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2025.

Sukha Balka mine is one of the leading mining companies in Ukraine. It produces iron ore by underground mining. The mine includes Yubileynaya and Frunze mines.
DCH Group acquired the mine from Evraz Group in May 2017.

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Fresh review of the foreign exchange market from KYT Group

Issue No. 1 – February 2025

The purpose of this review is to provide an analysis of the current situation on the Ukrainian foreign exchange market and a forecast of the hryvnia exchange rate against key currencies based on the latest data. We review current conditions, key influencing factors, and likely scenarios.

February 2025 started quite predictably for the Ukrainian FX market, without any sharp jumps or sudden shocks. After the traditional New Year’s Eve surge in demand for foreign currency, the market has gradually returned to a calmer state, and the hryvnia exchange rate continues to balance between domestic factors, such as the NBU’s policy and the country’s balance of payments, and global trends, such as the policies of the US Federal Reserve and the ECB.

The US Federal Reserve continues to keep interestrates high, strengthening the dollar, while the European Central Bank has cut interest rates, weakening the euro. This creates the preconditions for maintaining the current exchange rate dynamics, but also adds unpredictability for those planning currency transactions.

Analysis of the current situation

The hryvnia is gaining stability again

As predicted at the end of January, after the peak growth of the dollar (up to 42.28 UAH/$), the situation has gradually stabilized, and now the hryvnia is in the range of 41.37-42 UAH/$.

What contributed to this?

  1. Increased supply of cash currency. In December-January, banks brought in a record amount of cash dollars ($1.58 billion in December, up 6.9% from November), which significantly increased the supply of cash on the market.
  2. NBU policy. An increase in the key policy rate to 14.5% helped to reduce devaluation expectations.
  3. Seasonal factor. After holiday spending, the demand for foreign currency among the population traditionally decreases, which reduces pressure on the hryvnia.

The situation is somewhat different for the euro. After the ECB unexpectedly cut interest rates in February, investors’ funds began to flow into the dollar en masse, which led to a weakening of the European currency. As a result, the euro exchange rate in Ukraine fell to the level of 43.2-43.9 UAH/€, and has been showing a steady downward trend for three months.

The market spread between the purchase and sale of key currencies has remained relatively stable for a long time: 50-58 kopecks for the dollar and 63-68 kopecks for the euro. This indicates a balance between supply and demand and can be considered both an indicator of the lack of appetite for speculation among currency market operators and an indicator of the absence of panic among the population.

Dollar exchange rate forecast

Short-term forecast (2-4 weeks)

The dollar exchange rate may fluctuate in the range of UAH 41.8-42.5/$. The NBU continues to actively restrain sharp fluctuations, as evidenced by the sale of foreign currency from reserves, and no major inflationary risks are expected in the coming month.

However, risks remain:

  • Further dollar growth is possible in the event of a change in Fed policy or sharp fluctuations in foreign markets.
  • Any news of delays in international aid could cause short-term exchange rate fluctuations.

Medium-term forecast (2-4 months)

During the first half of the year, the hryvnia may gradually weaken to 44 UAH/$. Main reasons:

  • Traditional growth in import purchases in the spring.
  • Rising inflation expectations may accelerate the hryvnia’s depreciation.
  • The Fed is expected to adopt a looser policy, which could boost demand for the currency in Ukraine.
  • A deterioration in the economic situation or a shortage of financial assistance could be additional risks.

Long-term outlook (6+ months)

If the current macroeconomic picture persists, the dollar may reach 45 UAH/$ by the end of the year, although this scenario is entirely dependent on the success of the government’s economic policy and the stability and sufficiency of external financing inflows.

Euro exchange rate forecast

Short-term forecast (2-4 weeks)

The euro will be in the range of 43.0-44.2 UAH/€, with a gradual correction to the lower bound due to the euro’s weakness on the global market.

Medium-term forecast (2-4 months)

The euro may fall to 42.5 UAH/€ if the eurozone stagnation intensifies and the US Federal Reserve maintains its tight policy.

Long-term outlook (6+ months)

If the EU fails to recover from the economic downturn, the euro may remain weaker, allowing the hryvnia to maintain relative stability against it, and in some periods, the hryvnia may even strengthen against the euro.

Recommendations for businesses and investors

In the short term (up to 1 month), the main task is to ensure liquidity and minimize currency risks. Businesses should have a portion of their working capital in foreign currency, especially if their expenses depend on imports. Keeping funds in short-term deposits in US dollars or euros will help protect against exchange rate fluctuations. For private investors, now is not the best time to actively enter long positions in euros due to the weakness of the European currency, while the dollar remains a stable instrument. For those considering currency speculation, there may be opportunities to make money on short positions.

Medium-term strategies (2-4 months) should focus on building a balanced portfolio with a predominance of the dollar. As the US Federal Reserve is in no hurry to change its tight monetary policy, the dollar remains the most stable currency for capital preservation. Investors who want to diversify their portfolio should pay attention to assets in Swiss francs and British pounds, as they are less prone to strong fluctuations under the influence of geopolitical risks. Cryptocurrencies can be an interesting tool for short-term speculation, but they remain high-risk due to their high volatility.

In the long term (6+ months), the most important factor isto protect capital from devaluation risks. The main savings should be kept in hard currency, as even with a moderate devaluation trend, the hryvnia will continue to lose value. Alternative assets, such as gold, can be an effective means of preserving value, but the current high prices make it less attractive for immediate entry – it is worth waiting for a possible correction.

This material was prepared by the company’s analysts and reflects their expert, analytical professional judgment. The information presented in this review is for informational purposes only and cannot be considered a recommendation for action.

The Company and its analysts make no representations and assume no liability for any consequences arising from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is” without any additional guarantees of completeness, obligations of timeliness or updates or additions.

Users of this material should make their own risk assessments and informed decisions based on their own evaluation and analysis of the situation from various available sources that they consider to be sufficiently qualified. We recommend that you consult an independent financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

REFERENCE

KYT Group is an international multi-service product FinTech company that has been successfully operating in the non-banking financial services market for 16 years. One of the company’s flagship activities is currency exchange. KYT Group is one of the largest operators in this segment of the Ukrainian financial market, is among the largest taxpayers, and is one of the industry leaders in terms of asset growth and equity.

More than 90 branches in 16 major cities of Ukraine are located in convenient locations for customers and have modern equipment for the convenience, security and confidentiality of each transaction.

The company’s activities comply with the regulatory requirements of the NBU. KYT Group adheres to EU standards, having a branch in Poland and planning cross-border expansion to European countries.

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