The Middle East conflict is driving up energy prices and pushing inflation higher across CEE. Oil and gas shocks hit import-dependent economies hardest, forcing central banks to postpone planned rate cuts as markets turn risk-off, according to an analysis by ING Bank.
NEPI Rockcastle, the largest owner of shopping centres in CEE, said its net operating income rose 11.2% year-on-year to a record €618 million in 2025, while the distributable earnings increased 6.7% to €441 million.
In a video interview recorded at CEE Property Forum 2025 in Vienna, Marek Noetzel, COO of NEPI Rockcastle and incoming CEO from April 2026, shares his outlook on retail trade across the region, the company's growth strategy and his priorities for the next phase of leadership.
CEE property investment reached a turning point in 2025, with transaction volumes across the region's six main markets totalling €11.6 billion, representing 31% annual growth according to Colliers' latest analysis.
SafeFleet, one of Romania's largest fleet monitoring companies, closed 2025 with 15% revenue growth compared to the previous year.
CEE is entering an uneven economic recovery against a backdrop of inflationary pressures, with Romania remaining under pressure from inflation...
MLP Group has completed a €350 million green bond issuance with a 5-year maturity and fixed coupon of 4.75%, in an offering attracted strong demand and was oversubscribed.
Central Europe's commercial real estate sector is experiencing a transformation, with Hungary leading the recovery through an 86% year-on-year increase in investment driven by Asian capital from China and South Korea. The CATL factory in Debrecen and BYD in Szeged, along with the planned Volvo plant in Košice, Slovakia, are reshaping the region's industrial landscape and creating demand for logistics space.
Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have recorded an 18% increase in banking assets between 2021 and 2024.
Lululemon announced plans to expand into six new markets in 2026 through franchise partnerships. The athletic apparel brand will launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania through a partnership with Arion Retail Group, as well as in India through Tata CLiQ.
Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marius Barbu as COO, effective from April 2026, to succeed Marek Noetzel, current COO and CEO-designate. He has also been nominated as a Board Director and will stand for election at the next AGM in May 2026.
Colliers has published a new report focusing on CEE, examining economic and real estate trends across Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The study shows that 2025 brought moderate economic recovery, easing inflation and rising focus on sustainability, while real estate markets were shaped by modernization, limited new office supply, strong logistics demand and retail park expansion.
Romania faces an economic maturity test, with the key question being whether it can transform current vulnerabilities into reforms and progress.
EU enterprises are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence technologies, with 20% of companies with 10 or more employees now using AI to conduct business in 2025, according to Eurostat.
GTC reported rental revenues of €152 million in the first nine months of 2025, up 9% from €139 million in the same period of 2024. The increase followed the acquisition of a residential portfolio in Germany, which contributed €18 million, partially offset by a €4 million decrease after the sale of the GTC X and Matrix C properties.
Confidence is returning across CEE real estate markets, with investor sentiment shifting from cautious optimism to execution, according to Colliers. The region continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by moderating inflation, solid household consumption, and strong employment levels.
CEE recorded a 38% increase in real estate investments in the first three quarters of 2025, reaching over €7 billion across six major markets, according to Colliers' latest report.
Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marek Noetzel as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2026. Noetzel, who has served as the company's COO since June 2022, will succeed current CEO Rüdiger Dany.
Shopper Park Plus, a Hungarian real estate investment company, announced plans for a secondary public offering of approximately 8 million newly issued shares in the last quarter of 2025. The company expects to raise between €90 million and €110 million through the offering on the Budapest Stock Exchange.
CEE economies have been delivering solid GDP growth, outpacing many Western European peers despite external trade uncertainties and recent inflationary pressures, according to Colliers' latest report.
The current conflict in Iran may only have a marginal impact on the global economy, according to an opinion by stock exchange broker Investimental.
Romanian energy company Simtel Team has appointed Petre Stoian as CEO to consolidate its management structure as the group expands its operations.
The Romanian government has adopted an emergency ordinance for administrative reform that officially recognises what specialists have long signalled: public administration is oversized, fragmented and financially unsustainable, according to an opinion by PwC Romania experts Dinu Bumbăcea and Cristian Cortez.
Romania continues to lag significantly behind the European average regarding the modernisation of its rail infrastructure.
Romania's Ministry of Finance has announced a new spring edition of its Tezaur government bond programme, offering citizens attractive investment opportunities with annual interest rates reaching 7%.