The Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development raised the number of bank cards by 42% in 2007, including an 82% increase in the number of VISA cards issued last year, the bank’s press officer reports. At the same time, the demand balance - as far as the ruble, dollar, and Euro accounts operated through a bank card are concerned - went up by 59.3%, 6.4%, and 41.8%, respectively. In addition, the bank can boast a very developed bank card infrastructure consisting of 203 ATMs (150 of which are located in Sverdlovsk Region (including 75 ATMs in Yekaterinburg)) and 80 cash terminals (50 of which

'It’s possible that Leroy Merlin’s decision to invest 4 billion RUR in putting up stores in Sverdlovsk Region has been inspired by the success Auchan proved to be. They are bound to have some hard time here, though, because the region is already full of strong chain stores dealing in building materials and all the accompanying products. Besides, Castorama has been trying to enter our market as well,’ says Alexei Podolyako, CEO Alliance Independent Partnership. As became clear from Sverdlovsk Region’s Governor’s meeting with some French entrepreneurs, Leroy Merlin is thinking of setting

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Tagilbank to natural persons for 91 to 180 days went down by 27.21% (from 2.205 million RUR to 1.605 million RUR) in January-December 2007.

Russian stock market keeps experiencing some dramatic downfalls. MICEX and RTS indices dropped by 7% and 5.8% respectively in the morning of January 22, 2008, RBC reports. Shares of companies like Sberbank of Russia, RAO UES of Russia, Uralsvyazinform, and Surgutneftegas plummeted the lowest (by 17%, 10%, 12.5%, and 10%, respectively).

The value of net assets of Energy - Mixed Investments (the unit investment trust) managed by Eurogreen Management Company Ltd. went down by 4.24% between January 17, 2007 and January 18, 2007. According to Eurogreen’s website, the company’s net assets decreased from 3,290,153.34 RUR on January 17, 2007 to 3,150,544,7 RUR on January 18, 2007.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by Sverdlovsk Gubernskiy Bank to for-profit self-regulatory organizations for 1 to 3 years despite overdraft went down by 11.83% (from 1,066,036,000 RUR to 939,944,000 RUR) in January-December 2007.

The Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development kept getting featured in MICEX and RTS (FORTS) ratings throughout most of 2007. For instance, the bank was present in MICEX share market rating as well as in the bond market one. These ratings include fifty market players with the greatest trade turnovers, selected carefully among more than six hundred contestants. In December 2007, the Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development was given the 37th position in the share market rating and the 22nd position in the REPO bond market rating. Throughout last year, the bank’s position in FORTS rating

The company’s proprietors decided to offer Shadrinskiy Confectionery Plant for sale. 'Our core activity has to do with the heavy industry, so this plant is a non-core asset we are interested in selling; after all, we’ve never been involved in the food industry,’ says ZOK’s GD Oleg Tobolets. Offered for sale is a 3.143-hectare land allotment in Shadrinsk, Sverdlovsk Region, occupied by a three-storey office block with the area of 1,888 square meters, three production shops (meant for producing caramel, gingerbread, and soft drinks) with the total area of over 4,600 square meters, garages,

The value of net assets of UralSib Management Company decreased by .53% between January 17, 2008 and January 18, 2008, thus dropping from 1,027,840,214.97 RUR on January 17, 2008 to 1,022,388,163.8 RUR on January 18, 2008.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by UralFinPromBank to natural persons for 181 days to 1 year went down by 10.85% (from 151.197 million RUR to 134.791 million RUR) in January-December 2007.

Aeroflot-Russian Airlines has been experiencing some problems with its Havana-Moscow flights, as about thirty passengers per each flight aren’t able to board the plane this January due to lack of passenger seats. On January 18, 2008, twenty-five people couldn’t use SU 334 flight; some of the unfortunate travelers were Sverdlovsk Region dwellers. The spokesperson for Aeroflot, however, claims the flights are operated as usual and they have no seating problems whatsoever.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Uralprivatbank to natural persons for 91 to 180 days went down by 99.69% (from 2.598 million RUR to 8,000 RUR) in January-December 2007.

The value of net assets of Energy - Mixed Investments (the unit investment trust) managed by Eurogreen Management Company Ltd. went down by 5.12% between January 15, 2007 and January 17, 2007. According to Eurogreen’s website, the company’s net assets decreased from 3,467,711.67 RUR on January 15, 2007 to 3,290,153.34 RUR on January 17, 2007.

Bank Severnaya Kazna decided to sell 11% of its shares to East Capital Explorer Financial Institutions Fund AB, the Swedish investment fund. The shareholding will be bought for 1 billion RUR, with the shares offered as an additional issue, Clerk.Ru reports. The bank is believed to come up with 6.17 million shares with face value of 10 RUR each. These will be sold at 162.075 RUR apiece.

The closing ceremony of the Days of Beneficence gave the representatives of Sverdlovsk Region Government an opportunity to say their thanks to businesses whose contribution was particularly felt in 2007. The Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development was the region’s only financial market player to receive the honorary letter of thanks for their Proactive Charity Contribution and Social Welfare Projects in 2007, the bank’s press officer reports. Apart from the bank’s representatives, the ceremony was also attended by employees and managers of metallurgical, pipe-making, power engineering

A flight operated by Aviaprad was delayed by two days; Yak-42 coming to Yekaterinburg from Norilsk was supposed to have arrived in Yekaterinburg at 2 PM on January 18, 2008 yet the interactive timetable used in Koltsovo airport read that Aviaprad’s plane would only land at 7 PM on January 21, 2008. A little earlier, another Norilsk-Yekaterinburg flight operated by Aviaprad was delayed by as many as five days.

OGK-5 only produced 38.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electric power in 2007, which falls short of the year 2006 by 5.1%, the spokesperson for the company says. Besides, the company’s heat energy output reached 6.8 million Gcal last year, which is 3.4% less than in 2006.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by UralTransBank to natural persons for up to 30 days plummeted by 100% (from 300,000 RUR to zero) in January-December 2007.

On January 23, 2008, Sverdlovsk Region Duma deputies are going to consider the public prosecution authorities’ potential ban on buying Sverdlovsk Gubernskiy Bank’s shares using the regional budget finances. The existing law states that the authorities’ notice of appeal must be considered at the regional Duma meeting as soon as possible, with the results of the meeting reported to the region’s prosecutor in writing. The Duma’s next meeting has been scheduled for January 22-23, 2008. Sverdlovsk Region’s public prosecution authorities believe the Duma’s decision to finance the acquisition of