The Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development has managed to raise its assets by 23.9% so far this year, so these reached 47,430,319,000 RUR. The bank’s balance sheet total came to 53,649,386,000 RUR on May 1, 2008, which exceeds the figures for December 31, 2008 by 34.8%; its loan portfolio amounted to 30,820,501,000 RUR, which is 21.1% better than in December 2007. The volume of customers’ deposits went up by 6.5% and reached 32,130,016,000 RUR in January-April 2008 (private individuals’ deposits rose by 10.1%, coming to 22,199,984,000 RUR), while the bank’s stock grew by 12.8% and

Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Eduard Rossel attended the exhibition dedicated to the region’s major construction projects on May 17, 2008. This exhibition was coordinated within the framework of the 13th Russian Economic Forum devoted to the country’s regions’ investment policies as the key factor of Russia’s sustainable economic development. The forum was held in Yekaterinburg on May 16-17, 2008. Eduard Rossel checked out the stand of Renova-StroyGroup presenting the plan and the outlay of Yekaterinburg’s future Academic district. According to deputy project manager Alexander Laptev, this

Governor of Sverdlovsk Region Eduard Rossel suggested in the course of his meeting with India’s Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the position of India’s honorary consul should be introduced in the region. The spokesperson for the Governor reports the minister found this a good idea.

The 13th Russian Economic Forum devoted to the country’s regions’ investment policies as the key factor of Russia’s sustainable economic development began in Yekaterinburg on May 16, 2008. The event was attended by representatives of the Federal Assembly, the Russian Federation Government, officers from the country’s leading ministries, members of foreign delegations, top business executives, and members of Russian scientific community. The forum proceedings were coordinated by the Expert magazine’s editor-in-chief Valeriy Fadeev and head of Troika Dialog Andrei Sharonov. The agenda of the

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Sverdlovsk Gubernskiy Bank to sole traders despite overdraft plummeted by 82.44% (from 7.341 million RUR to 1.289 million RUR) in January-April 2008.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Perviy Respublikanskiy Bank to sole traders for over 3 years dropped by 37.61% (from 9.585 million RUR to 5.98 million RUR) in January-April 2008.

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by SberInvestBank to sole traders for 1 to 3 years went down by 85.71% (from 1.4 million RUR to 200,000 RUR) in January-April 2008.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by UralTransBank to state-run for-profit organizations for 181 days to 1 year went down by 80.08% (from 1.466 million RUR to 292,000 RUR) in January-April 2008.

Mashinniy Dvor, the car dealer, is about to enter Yekaterinburg’s car market, the company’s press officer reports. They have already reached an agreement with Sberbank’s West-Ural branch and will receive 1.8 billion RUR in terms of credit. This money is to be directed to financing a development project aimed at putting up show rooms and maintenance centers in Ural Federal District and Privolzhskiy Federal District. The project requires a total of 2.64 billion RUR worth of investments, with 70% of the financing to be supplied by Sberbank and 30% to be produced by the company itself. The

The number of operating Russian banks and crediting organizations dropped to 1,129 in January-April 2008. 1,084 entities are banks proper, while the remaining 45 ones are non-bank crediting organizations, Central Bank of Russia reports. The Central Bank has called off or annulled licenses of 145 crediting organizations over the four months of 2008, and 1,841 entities have gone into liquidation due to cancellation of a license (1,437), reorganization (403), or failing to back up one’s authorized capital (1). 297 organizations did have their general licenses on May 1, 2008, 900 banks had

Following the unanimous decision of Concern Kalina’s Board of Directors, former General Director Timur Goryaev was elected the company’s BOD Chairman, while BOD member and former Director for Economics and Finances Alexander Petrov was unanimously elected the company’s General Director, Kalina’s press officer reports.

The average price of one liter of gasoline came to 21.13 RUR in Russia on May 5, 2008. AI 76 is available for 18.83 RUR per liter, AI 92 is available for 22.2 RUR per liter, AI 95 and up is sold for 23.54 RUR per liter, and diesel fuel now costs 21.81 RUR per liter on average.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by UniCreditBank to sole traders for up to 30 days plummeted by 100% (from 60 million RUR to zero) in January-April 2008.

RENOVA StroyGroup is going to take part in the 13th Russian Economic Forum devoted to the country’s regions’ investment policies as the key factor of Russia’s sustainable economic development. The forum is to open in Yekaterinburg on May 16, 2008. RENOVA is planning to make a report on the second block of Yekaterinburg’s future Academic district. This is the builder’s first multi-faceted area development project. The construction of the first block began in October 2007 and covered 120,000 square meters worth of real estate, including 80,000 square meters worth of housing. Academic is both

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by Pervouralsk Joint Stock Commercial Bank to for-profit self-regulatory organizations for 181 days to 1 year went down by 13.49% (from 213.644 million RUR to 184.824 million RUR) in January-April 2008.

The Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development has been featured in the leading repurchase agreement operators’ rating for the first time this April. The rating covers companies operating at the state treasury bills market is compiled by MICEX stock exchange. The bank’s increased trade turnover secured it the fourth best position in the rating, their press officer reports. In addition, the Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with its 4.9-billion-ruble trade turnover in April 2008, has retained the 39th position in MICEX Top 50 stock market operators rating (these fifty companies

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of loans given by Khanty-Mansiyskiy Bank to nongovernmental financial organizations for 181 days to 1 year went down by 15.14% (from 803.595 million RUR to 681.94 million RUR) in January-April 2008.

Louis Vuitton is planning on introducing its boutique in Yekaterinburg at the beginning of 2009, the company’s President in Europe said to RBC-daily. ‘We’ve been operating on the Russian market for over six years now. In fact, a lot of work had to be done to actually enter this market, as we do not normally use any intermediaries, but we are positive we need to keep on expanding both in the country’s capital and other Russian cities. Apart from setting up boutiques in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, we’ll introduce one in Yekaterinburg next year as well as stores in Sochi and Rostov-on-Don in

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by TagilBank to private individuals for 91 to 180 days dropped by 21.25% (from 1.534 million RUR to 1.208 million RUR) in January-April 2008.

SKB-Bank is about to introduce its Elite-Banks (that is, VIP customer service offices) in Chelyabinsk and Perm. The Chelyabinsk one will be housed in Chelyabinsk branch’s Perviy office at 30 Lenin St, while the one in Perm is to be located in Perm branch’s Sadoviy office at 9 Uinskaya St. SKB-Bank’s first Elite-Bank office was set up in the company’s headquarters in Yekaterinburg and welcomed its first customers on April 9, 2007. So far, over one-tenth of the bank’s private individuals’ investment portfolio has been collected through Elite-Bank already. SKB-Bank’s Deposit Director Denis