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

Russian Federation President Dmitriy Medvedev has recently signed decrees appointing his new plenipotentiary representatives in the country’s federal districts. Vladimir Ustinov was appointed Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in South Federal District, Grigory Rapota was appointed Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in Privolzhskiy Federal District, Ilya Klebanov was appointed Plenipotentiary Representative of Russian Federation President in North-Western Federal District, Georgiy Poltavchenko was appointed Plenipotentiary Representative

Head of Sverdlovsk Region Government Viktor Koksharov met the People’s Republic of China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi at Koltsovo airport of Yekaterinburg on May 14, 2008. Viktor Koksharov welcomed the Chinese delegation and said he hoped the officials would have a good and fruitful time in the hospitable Urals.

Central Bank of Russia reports volume of sole traders’ deposits and other investments in VUZ Bank valid for 91 to 180 days went down by 45.08% (from 139.374 million RUR to 76.537 million RUR) in January-April 2008.

Nakhimov Plaza, the trade and office center at 9 Vainer St. in Yekaterinburg is still being put up rather slowly. Aston Group has claimed earlier that the building would be finished in the summer of 2008; however, even the outer walls haven’t been fully finished yet. A billboard located next to the construction site reports the building was to have been commissioned as early as the last quarter of 2007. Aston Group acts as the broker for the building and, according to Chairman Vyacheslav Trapesnikov, all the delays have been caused by the limited area of the construction site. At the same

According to the Central Bank of Russia, volume of loans given by SberInvestBank to sole traders despite overdraft went down by 47% (from 1.5 million RUR to 805,000 RUR) in January-April 2008.

URSA Bank’s assets (calculated in accordance with the Russian Accounting Standards) came to $7.5bn, which is 1.5 times better than a year earlier. The bank’s own funds doubled and reached $1.29bn in the meantime. URSA Bank’s profit amounted to $65.2m in the first quarter of 2008, which is 2.7 times better than in January-March 2007. The bank’s net loan portfolio reached $5.8bn in April 2008, which exceeds the figures for last April by 1.7 times. As for the bad debt, its share came to 4.1% of the total loan portfolio volume on April 1, 2008, while the bank’s reserves fully make up for the

‘Most unit investment trusts did not do very well in the first quarter of the year and actually showed some negative dynamics. This was the case of CIT Fortis Investment and Maxwell, for instance,’ Unicom Partner’s Deputy Corporate Marketing Director Dmitriy Emerov said to UrBC. In the meantime, Unicom Partner has recently announced that its contracts with CIT Fortis Investment and Maxwell management companies were cancelled. ‘Unicom Partner intends to focus on trust management and banking services for the time being. However, we might resume our cooperation with the unit investment trusts