BNR keeps key interest rate at 6.50%
The National Bank of Romania's (BNR) Board of Directors decided on Monday to maintain the key interest rate at 6.50% per annum in its first monetary policy meeting of the year.
The National Bank of Romania's (BNR) Board of Directors decided on Monday to maintain the key interest rate at 6.50% per annum in its first monetary policy meeting of the year.
The beginning of 2026 will bring lower mortgage interest rates in Romania, both for fixed rates (over 98% of current loans) and variable rates, according to a market report by online broker Ipotecare.ro and financial consultant SVN Romania Credit & Financial Solutions.
Romanian 10-year euro-denominated bonds currently trade at a yield of 5.96%, representing a 351-basis point (bps) spread over German Bunds, which equals to 3.51% over Germany.
Investors are anxiously eyeing the tariff-related decisions Donald Trump may make once he reaches the Oval Office in the White House.
ECB will continue to cut interest rates by 25 basis points, although a more aggressive cut of 50 basis points would be more justified given the fragile economic situation.
Emerging market currencies are going to be under pressure until at least the third quarter of 2024.

Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) has entered the Han Asparuh offshore exploration joint venture in the Bulgarian Black Sea with a 10% interest.
Romanian communication consultancy Graffiti Plus (GRF+) is opening its private placement round on January 22, targeting retail investors ahead of its planned listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange's AeRO market in H1 2026.
Only three in ten (30%) global CEOs are confident their companies will have higher revenues in the next 12 months, according to the PwC Global CEO Survey 2026, launched at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos. This percentage is the lowest in five years.
The Black Sea Energy Cooperation Association (Besca) has begun operations in Romania as a platform for collaboration among investors, developers, and experts involved in renewable energy projects across the Black Sea region.
While the EU discusses applying handling fees for parcels worth less than €150 from non-EU countries, Romania and Italy have decided to implement it this year.