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The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve) has highlighted European funding opportunities available to Cypriot small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups through the European Commission’s Cascade Funding mechanism. The initiative is intended to make financial support and other resources more accessible to businesses, particularly those active in technology, innovation and the green transition. Cascade Funding, also known as Financial Support to Third Parti

The borrowing-cost hierarchy across the eurozone has changed significantly, with Belgium paying interest rates close to those of Greece and France facing higher borrowing costs than Italy. The shift reflects diverging fiscal positions, political uncertainty and changing investor perceptions of sovereign risk as European governments prepare to issue record volumes of debt. On 15 October 2026, Belgium’s 10-year government bond yield stood at approximately 4.29%, compared with 4

Global equity markets advanced on Monday as international oil prices fell sharply following US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement of an immediate energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The development helped ease concerns about energy supplies and inflation, despite renewed violence in the Middle East and continuing uncertainty over whether Moscow had actually accepted the proposed arrangement. The announcement prompted a significant shift in market sentimen

Morgan Stanley has reaffirmed its positive outlook for Greece’s banking sector, identifying Alpha Bank as one of its preferred European mid-cap banking stocks and describing the recent decline in bank shares as a potential buying opportunity. In its latest assessment, the investment bank attributed the recent pressure on European banking shares primarily to deteriorating sentiment in government bond markets and profit-taking, rather than a fundamental deterioration in banks’

Cyprus, Greece and Egypt are stepping up efforts to deepen energy cooperation, with the three countries placing greater emphasis on existing infrastructure, regional connectivity and the development of Eastern Mediterranean natural-gas resources for European markets. The issue was at the centre of meetings in Athens on Wednesday involving Cyprus Energy, Commerce and Industry Minister Michael Damianos, Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou and Egyptian Petr

Cyprus recorded the second-highest annual increase in retail trade volume among European Union member states in August 2026, registering growth of 7.5 per cent compared with the same month a year earlier. The performance placed Cyprus just behind Sweden, which recorded annual retail trade growth of 7.7 per cent. Estonia ranked third, with an increase of 6 per cent. The figures, compiled by Eurostat, compare retail trade volumes in August 2026 with those recorded in August 202

Diesel has become the most expensive fuel at European filling stations, with the average price across the European Union reaching a record €2.226 per litre on 21 September 2026. According to the European Commission’s Weekly Oil Bulletin, the figure represents the highest EU-wide diesel price recorded since the series began in 2005. It is also 13.4 cents per litre higher than the average price of Euro-super 95 petrol. At current prices, filling a 50-litre diesel tank costs

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has instructed fund managers and self-managed investment funds to submit their statistical returns for the third quarter of 2026 by October 30, 2026, warning that failure to file on time or submitting incomplete information could result in administrative penalties. In a circular issued this week, CySEC said the reporting obligation covers Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMs), UCITS management companies, internall

Business activity across the euro zone expanded in September at its fastest pace in more than three years, according to preliminary business surveys, indicating that the region’s economy has remained resilient despite higher energy costs linked to conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. The S&P Global Flash Euro Zone Composite PMI Output Index rose to 53.1 in September from 52.0 in August. Readings above 50 indicate that activity is expanding. The September result exceeded

Moody’s Ratings has revised the outlook on National Bank of Greece’s long-term deposit ratings to positive from stable while affirming the bank’s long-term deposit and senior unsecured debt ratings at Baa1. The action follows Moody’s recent revision of Greece’s sovereign rating outlook to positive from stable. Greece’s sovereign rating remains unchanged at Baa3. The change in the bank’s deposit outlook is linked directly to the improved outlook for the sovereign rating. Moody

Euro area households hold almost €10 trillion in cash and bank deposits, representing around one-third of their financial assets, while approximately 80% do not own stocks or other market-based financial instruments, according to a European Central Bank analysis published on 15 September 2026. The analysis examines household saving and investment patterns across the euro area and compares them with those of US households. It identifies significant differences in the compositi

S&P Global Ratings has upgraded Cyprus’ long-term and short-term sovereign credit ratings from A-/A-2 to A/A-1, while maintaining a positive outlook for the long-term rating. The decision, announced on 18 September 2026, places Cyprus in the A rating category for the first time since 2010. The upgrade applies to Cyprus’ long-term and short-term credit ratings in both local and foreign currency. The positive outlook means that the long-term rating remains subject to the possib

US interest rates have been increased for the first time in more than three years, with the Federal Reserve indicating that further rises could follow as it seeks to bring persistent inflation under control. The Federal Reserve unanimously voted to raise its benchmark interest-rate range from 3.5%-3.75% to 3.75%-4%. The decision came despite strong opposition from President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly urged the central bank to reduce borrowing costs. Fed Chair Kevin Wars

National Bank of Greece (NBG) will cancel 11,580,849 treasury shares acquired under its share buyback programme, representing 1.27% of its share capital, as the bank continues a separate tranche of purchases on the Athens Stock Exchange. The shares scheduled for cancellation on 17 September 2026 were acquired between 4 June 2025 and 27 March 2026 under a buyback programme approved by NBG shareholders. The bank paid a weighted average price of €12.6171 per share, bringing the

Alpha Bank has purchased 3,152,886 of its own shares for a total consideration of approximately €14.87 million as part of its ongoing share buyback programme. The purchases were carried out on Euronext Athens between 7 and 9 September 2026, with the bank paying an average price of €4.7160 per share. The buyback programme was approved by Alpha Bank shareholders at the bank’s Annual General Meeting on 26 June 2026 and was subsequently put into effect on 31 July. The largest ind

Global tax cooperation is becoming increasingly fragmented, leaving businesses to navigate a more uncertain policy environment as negotiations at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations move along separate paths, while governments increasingly introduce regional and unilateral measures, according to EY. The consulting firm said the international tax system was moving away from a single, consensus-based process towards a landsca

US consumer inflation remained unchanged at 3.4% in the year to August, matching economists’ expectations and July’s reading. However, the latest figures contained a warning sign beneath the stable annual rate: prices increased 0.4% during the month, marking the fastest monthly rise since May and suggesting that the escalating energy shock is beginning to filter through the US economy. The figures, released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday afternoon, represent t

Cyprus is intensifying efforts to position itself as a European and regional centre for investment, technology, energy, transport and trade, with President Nikos Christodoulides saying that substantive foreign direct investment (FDI) increased by approximately 10 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year. Speaking on Wednesday at the EY Cyprus Future Realised Forum in Nicosia, Christodoulides said the rise in investment activity was reinforcing confidence in the countr

Oil prices climbed to $100 (£74) a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July, as a sharp escalation in military activity involving the United States, Iran, Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia intensified fears over the security of global energy supplies. Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, rose 2.83% from Tuesday to reach $100.70 a barrel by Wednesday afternoon. The latest increase came after a series of attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure across

China’s export growth accelerated sharply in August, highlighting the continued strength of the country’s manufacturing sector and the growing importance of automobiles, semiconductors and other high-technology products to its external economy. Exports increased by 25% year on year in August, accelerating from the 23.9% growth recorded in July and exceeding market expectations. At the same time, imports increased by 28.2%, producing a monthly trade surplus of approximately $1