The Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture expects GDP to grow by 3.7% in 2020, Deputy Minister Serhiy Nikolaichuk has said. “Next year, we expect growth to accelerate to 3.7%,” he said during a press briefing.
The minister noted that the updated macroeconomic forecast would be published after it is approved at a government meeting.
Retail trade turnover in Ukraine (legal entities and individual entrepreneurs) in January-September 2019 in comparable prices increased by 9.8% compared with January-September 2018, the State Statistics Service has said.
According to the report, in September 2019 compared with the previous month, retail trade turnover decreased by 3.3%, in annual terms grew by 8.6% (September 2019 from September 2018).
The largest growth in retail turnover in January-September 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 was recorded in Vinnytsia (by 17.6%), Ternopil (by 16.9%), Kyiv (by 15.7%) regions and Kyiv (by 14.7%).
National bank of Ukraine’s official rates as of 22/10/19
Source: National Bank of Ukraine
Poltava mining and processing plant (PGOK, Ferrexpo Poltava Mining, Horishni Plavni, Poltava region), the largest producer of iron ore pellets in Ukraine, by the decision of its sole shareholder, Swiss-based Ferrexpo AG, intends to increase its charter capital by 62.3%, or UAH 1.185 billion through an additional issue of shares without public offering.
The corresponding issue of shares was registered by the National Commission for Securities and the Stock Market of Ukraine on October 18.
At the time of the decision on the issue (July 31 of this year), the charter capital of PGOK amounted to UAH 1.902 billion and was divided into 191 million shares with a par value of UAH 9.96. The sources of increase in the charter capital are cash in foreign currency.
The term for the placement of shares is from October 4 to November 20 of this year.
As reported, Ferrexpo AG, which owned a 99.1167% stake in PGOK, in June of this year forcibly bought back shares from minority shareholders under a squeeze-out procedure and increased its stake to 100%. The buyback price amounted to UAH 34.24.
Ferrexpo Plc, which owns 100% of Ferrexpo AG, which in turn owns 100% of Poltava GOK and 100% of Yeristovo GOK, is traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
Since the beginning of July this year, the price of Ferrexpo shares on the LSE fell by almost 2.1 times, to GBP1.354 per share, which is the lowest level since January 2017.
Kernel, one of the largest Ukrainian agricultural groups, has issued $300 million aggregate principal amount of 6.5% notes (eurobonds) due October 17, 2024.
Kernel said on the website of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), the issue price was 99.475%.
The notes are rated BB- by Fitch, and B by S&P, two notches above and in line with Ukrainian sovereign respectively.
In January 2017, Kernel placed eurobonds worth $500 million. The maturity date of Kernel’s debut eurobonds was January 31, 2022, and the coupon rate was set at 8.75% per annum.
Kernel is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, the leading producer and supplier of agricultural products from the Black Sea region to world markets.