Property transactions concluded in Bulgaria in the first quarter have decreased so sharply that they are practically almost equal to those in the first quarter of the year in which the pandemic began - 2020. This is shown by the statistics of the Registry Agency. From January to the end of March, 38,154 transactions with housing and other objects were concluded in our country, which is a decrease of 15.4% compared to the first quarter of the previous year. If we look at the data from the last quarter of 2025, the decrease is even greater - 43.2%, but then there was a boom in purchases before the adoption of the euro. In the first quarter of the pandemic 2020, there were about 500 fewer transactions than now, but subsequently the market recovered and even reached overheating. During the previous market shock in 2009, the number of transactions decreased by half, and shortly after that prices collapsed by about 40%. If the Registry Agency's statistics are examined month by month, it is seen that the largest outflow was in January, when there was a 20% drop on an annual basis. In February it was already 17%, and in total for the three months it was 15.4%.

The Ministry of Finance increased the state debt by selling new bonds for 150 million euros through the so-called reopening of an issue launched on the market at the end of January 2026. Thus, its total volume reaches 450 million euros. These are 5-year government securities that will be repaid in 2031. The state is committed to paying an annual interest rate of 2.75%, but the real yield for investors reaches about 3.33% due to the way the bonds are sold on the market. Bulgaria pays a higher price for this resource compared to the safest countries in Europe - the yield is about 0.68 percentage points above that of German bonds.

The logistics costs of the Lukoil refinery have increased by about 10 times compared to pre-crisis levels, Acting Minister of Energy Traycho Traykov announced on the occasion of the meeting of the crisis headquarters, which monitors and controls the prices of fuels and basic goods against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East. Traykov pointed out that this is already reflected in fuel prices and is an explanation for the prices, which are significantly higher compared to before the crisis.

Over the past few years, Bulgaria has gradually solidified its position as an emerging technology hub in Southeast Europe. Companies are being built in fintech, healthcare, artificial intelligence, robotics and more. According to the EU Startups ranking, 10 promising Bulgarian startups:

Agent Harbor Founded in 2024, Agent Harbor is a platform designed to help developers coordinate and manage long-term tasks between multiple AI agents. It offers a local sandbox environment with fast startup, easy playback and the ability to roll back or branch sessions. It supports models such as Claude, Gemini and Codex, allowing teams to structure and automate their development processes more efficiently. The company has attracted 3.44 million euros. The platform includes mechanisms for detecting blocked tasks, resolving deadlock situations and managing failed processes. Developers can test on different operating systems, maintain full logs and control access to files and networks. Agent Harbor is open source, privacy-focused, and integrates with popular tools like terminals, IDEs, and remote management systems.

Blue Longevity offers personalized, evidence-based longevity programs that help people improve their long-term health. The company combines digital coaching with advanced diagnostics, lifestyle medicine, and regenerative therapies to create personalized fitness, nutrition, and stress management plans. Founded in 2024, the company has raised €2 million to develop the platform and expand its centers. Its goal is to make preventive, science-based care more accessible.

Bronia is developing smart technology that “listens” to sounds, understands what they are, and determines where they are coming from. The system analyzes noise in real time and recognizes important signals like machine problems, loud city noises, or gunshots, then responds or sends an alert. The company was founded in 2024 and has raised around €500,000. The technology is used in public safety, industrial monitoring and defense, including in vehicles and drones.

Flataway.ai creates tools that help property managers build and manage direct booking sites. The platform uses AI to create personalized sites, integrate them with existing systems and prevent double bookings. The company helps operators reduce their dependence on large online booking platforms by offering SEO optimization, automation and secure payments. Founded in 2023, it has raised €1.15 million.

Huskycare offers cloud-based software to manage the daily work of outpatient care providers. The platform combines scheduling, billing and digital documentation in one system. Founded in 2023, the company has raised €1 million. Its goal is to reduce administrative burden and free up more time for real patient care.

Paypercut Paypercut is a fintech startup that helps small and medium-sized merchants offer Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions without complexity. The platform allows payments in local currencies and integrates installment payments directly into the checkout process. Founded in 2025, the company has raised €2 million and aims to provide access to modern payment solutions to smaller businesses.

Raven is a high-frequency algorithmic trading company that develops proprietary strategies for digital finance. Its technology is optimized for low latency and high throughput. Founded in 2023, it has raised around €2.3 million and works with major CeFi and DeFi platforms.

Smart Farm Robotix creates autonomous robots for sustainable agriculture. Their main product, RoboAiWeeder, is a solar-powered machine that removes weeds without chemicals through AI recognition. Founded in 2022, the company has raised 2.4 million euros and aims to automate agricultural processes.

Thinkpilot is an AI platform that helps product teams analyze large volumes of customer conversations. It extracts key themes and insights, all processed locally for greater security. Founded in 2024, the company has raised €600,000.

Vodar is a mental coaching app aimed at sports coaches and young athletes. It offers exercises for concentration, resilience and emotional control based on neuroscience. Founded in 2023, the company has raised €300,000 and aims to make mental preparation an accessible and structured part of training.

Bulgarian startup nFuse has raised $2 million in funding from venture capital funds Eleven Ventures and LAUNCHub Ventures. The company is developing an AI platform for B2B orders in the FMCG sector, which allows retailers and HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, cafes and catering) to request goods through channels such as WhatsApp, Viber and SMS. Eleven Ventures and LAUNCHub Ventures are entering nFuse Intelligence with 11.19% and 14.93% stakes, respectively. After the investment, founders Stoyan Ivanov and Stefan Radov retain control of the company, each owning 30.78% of the capital. Appolica, a software company and technology partner of the startup, also has a 2.31% stake. nFuse's AI-based platform was developed with the understanding that small retailers rarely have an incentive to use new software solely for placing orders. Instead of transferring customers to a separate B2B portal or app, the startup is directing them to channels they already use on a daily basis - WhatsApp, Viber and SMS. Orders can be submitted via text, voice or photo, and the system converts them into a structured request to the supplier. According to nFuse, the platform is already achieving over 70% adoption among corporate customers, increasing revenue per location by 15% to 30% and shortening implementation to about eight weeks. The company claims that its model also reduces the cost of processing an order to under $1, making it significantly more efficient to serve small merchants with frequent orders. The startup plans to integrate new services into its platform - first payments, and then microcredit for small merchants.

The Swiss-based European Company for the Financing of Railroad Rolling Stock (EUROFIMA), in which BDZ Holding is a shareholder, is the international organization that provides a loan of up to EUR 22 million to BDZ-Passenger Transport (BDZ-PP). With these funds, the state-owned passenger operator must secure the purchase of 91 used German wagons. The first tranche of EUR 8.1 million secures the delivery of 36 wagons. BDZ-PP finalized the delivery contract with DB Fernverkehr AG on March 18, 2026. The total value of the contract is EUR 21,820,000 for all 91 wagons. The loan agreement (EFI No. 20212), which entered into force on March 17, 2026, is structured as a Hire Purchase Agreement. In this model, EUROFIMA acquires the equipment and provides it for use by our national carrier, with ownership being transferred definitively after full payment of the amounts. The characteristics of each individual tranche are determined separately at the time of its disbursement. For the first tranche of 8.1 million euros, an interest rate formed by the 3-month EURIBOR plus a margin of 0.45% has been agreed. The loan term is 10 years, and its validity is until 2036. EUROFIMA is an organization headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, established in 1956 with a mission to support the modernization of railway transport in Europe. It operates on a non-profit basis and has a high credit rating, which allows it to raise profitable financial resources. The shareholders of the organization are 26 national railway operators from 25 countries. The largest shares are held by the German Railways (DB) and the French (SNCF). "Holding BDZ" EAD participates in EUROFIMA with a share of 0.20%, which entitles the Bulgarian carrier to use preferential financing for the renewal of its rolling stock.

One of the leading automotive groups on the Bulgarian market - Avto Union EAD, has signed a contract with Hongqi (in Bulgarian - Hongqi) to be the official importer of the luxury Chinese car brand in Bulgaria. With this move, Avto Union, which is already an official partner of Dongfeng, Forthing, DFSK, M-Hero and BYD, adds to its portfolio the most prestigious and luxurious Chinese car brand and strengthens its position as a leader in the representation of leading Chinese car brands in the country. With the entry of Hongqi, Avto Union is establishing itself as the largest hub for Chinese cars in Bulgaria - a group with a total of five brands that cover the entire spectrum of consumer profiles - from affordable to flagship. Hongqi (Red Flag) is owned by FAW Group and was founded in 1958, making it the oldest and most established Chinese brand for passenger cars. The brand is an official and national symbol of China. One of the brand's models - Hongqi L5, is also the state car used by the President of China (PRC) - Xi Jinping, including during the visits of the leader of the PRC abroad. Hongqi offers both models with internal combustion engines - gasoline, and electrified (NEVs) - fully electric and hybrid. Last year, the brand sold over 460 thousand cars on the market - the eighth consecutive year of growth, and the total number of its customers (cumulatively) reached 2 million, making it a leader in the segment of luxury Chinese manufacturers. Sales of electric and hybrid models were a key driver for growth last year, after the company registered a threefold growth in the NEV segment in the first half of 2025, reaching record levels. Outside China, Hongqi is represented on the markets of over 43 countries. In Bulgaria, Avto Union will initially offer a total of four models of the brand, all with a full warranty and an official dealer network.

"Port of Burgas" EAD ends the financial year 2025 with a positive financial result of EUR 18,000 after deducting all expenses, including taxes and fees. In 2023, the state operator recorded a loss of BGN 1,400,000, which in 2024 was significantly reduced to BGN 488,000. Among the main measures that contributed to improving the financial situation are optimization of the tariff policy by updating the prices of cargo handling and storage services, active dialogue with shippers in order to attract larger volumes of cargo, as well as effective cost management. The positive trend continues in 2026. In the first three months of the year, "Port of Burgas" EAD reported a profit of EUR 222,000, maintaining the cargo handling rate of the previous year.

Changes in the Supervisory Board of CB "Bulgarian-American Credit Bank" AD will be voted on by the regular general meeting of shareholders of the company, which is scheduled for May 19 in Sofia. It is proposed that Petar Georgiev Atanasov be dismissed as a member of the credit institution's supervision. David John Mack will be elected in his place with a mandate of five years until May 19, 2031. The agenda also includes the item for the re-election of members of the bank's Supervisory Board - Tsvetelina Borislavova Karagyozova and Martin Boychev Ganev - an independent member of the Supervisory Board, with a new mandate of five years until May 19, 2031. After this vote, the supervisory body will consist of three members. It is proposed that BACB's profit for 2025, after tax, in the amount of BGN 35,646,147.58 (EUR 18,225,585.85) remain as "Retained Earnings from Previous Periods". Thus, no dividend will be paid for another year.

After a period of decline until February, the prices of fuels and lubricants for personal vehicles in the EU recorded a significant increase in March 2026, the latest Eurostat data show. In March, fuel prices in the EU increased by 12.9% compared to the same month in 2025, and in the euro area by 13.4%, with almost all member states reporting an increase. On a monthly basis in March, the increase was 13.5% in both the EU and the euro area. The largest annual increases last month were recorded in Germany - 19.8%, Romania - 19.6%, the Netherlands - 18.8%, Latvia - 18.5% and Austria - 17.2%. A decrease was recorded only in Hungary and Slovenia, by 2.7% and 5.9% respectively on an annual basis in March. In February 2026, the decrease was more pronounced - by 11.1 and 9.6 percent, respectively. For Bulgaria, Eurostat data show an annual increase in fuel and lubricant prices in March of 6 percent, after a decrease of 7.6 percent was reported in February. On a monthly basis, compared to February, the increase in our country is 12.7 percent after a growth of 0.3 percent in February. Looking specifically at diesel and gasoline, their prices in March are 19.8 and 9.4 percent higher, respectively, compared to the same month in 2025 in the EU. In the euro area, the annual increase in the price of diesel and gasoline in March is 19.9 and 9.7 percent, respectively. On a monthly basis, compared to February, the price of diesel in the EU increased by 19.1 percent in March, and that of gasoline - by 10.6 percent. In the currency area, the price increase was 18.9 and 10.4 percent, respectively. Both types of fuel saw a price increase in all member states between February and March 2026. For diesel, the largest monthly increases in March were recorded in the Czech Republic and Sweden (27.6 percent for both countries), Estonia (26.8 percent), Latvia (25.4 percent), Belgium (25.2 percent) and the Netherlands (25.1 percent). The lowest increases were recorded in Slovenia (2.9 percent), Slovakia and Hungary (7 percent for both). In Bulgaria, the monthly increase in the price of diesel fuel was 16.9 percent in March. On an annual basis, last month the price of diesel fuel in our country increased by 11.5 percent. For gasoline, the largest monthly increases were reported in Belgium (15.1 percent), Sweden (15 percent), Austria (14.8 percent), the Czech Republic (14.6 percent), Estonia and Lithuania (both 14.2 percent). The lowest monthly increases in March were observed in Slovenia (2.4 percent), Slovakia (3.8 percent), Hungary (4.7 percent) and Italy (4.8 percent). For Bulgaria, Eurostat reports a monthly increase in gasoline in March of 9.9 percent. On an annual basis, compared to March 2025, the price of gasoline in Bulgaria increased by 3.4 percent.

U.S. retail sales rose at their fastest pace in a year in March, helped by a rise in gas station revenue and better-than-expected spending in other categories, Bloomberg reported. The value of total retail purchases rose 1.7% after a revised 0.7% gain in February, the Commerce Department said. The March gain was driven largely by a 15.5% jump in gasoline spending as the war with Iran pushed fuel prices to their highest level since 2022. Excluding gas stations, sales rose 0.6%. The data showed that consumer spending remained flat last month despite rising gasoline prices. The strong performance likely was due to larger-than-usual tax refunds hitting households’ bank accounts in recent weeks. Nearly all 13 categories, from furniture to electronics to general merchandise, rose. Auto sales rose 0.5%. Revenue at restaurants and bars, the only service sector category included in the report, rose 0.1%. Retail sales data showed that so-called control group sales, which are included in the government’s gross domestic product calculations, rose 0.7%, the biggest gain since August. The measure excludes food services, auto dealers, hardware stores and gas stations. The Bureau of Economic Analysis will release its first-quarter gross domestic product figures on April 30.

The German automotive industry is in one of its most difficult times in decades. Declining sales, a growing number of supplier bankruptcies and a changing balance of power on global markets mean that the current model for the entire European automotive industry is no longer working. The latest figures clearly show that the sector in Germany is undergoing a profound transformation, the effects of which are being felt by both manufacturers and the entire economy. According to the latest report "The Automotive Industry in Germany" by the international analytical company EY, the slowdown is no longer temporary and there is increasing talk of a turning point that could decide the future of one of the pillars of the German economy. The growing problems are not only due to falling sales, but also to profound changes in the structure of the European market. Growing competition from Asia and reduced exports to key markets mean that the advantage of German manufacturers is systematically eroding. The most noticeable effect of the slowdown is the layoffs. In 2025, the industry ended the year with a new decline in sales, and employment fell by more than 6%, reaching its lowest level in 14 years. Almost 50,000 jobs were eliminated nationwide, which hit regions strongly linked to automotive production particularly hard. In federal states such as Saarland and North Rhine-Westphalia, this industry plays a key role in the labor market, which is why the reductions there have particularly serious social consequences. Since before the Covid pandemic, some regions have lost more than 1/5 of their employees in the sector. Against this background, Brandenburg is an exception, where the number of employees in the industry has increased significantly. The situation is the most difficult for companies that create production facilities for automotive concerns. It is in the supply chain that the effects of falling orders and rising costs accumulate. The number of bankruptcies has reached its highest level in over a decade, and smaller companies are increasingly unable to maintain their operations. While large corporations are still using up their accumulated financial reserves, smaller companies are losing stability much faster. Their revenues are falling many times more than those of automakers, and since 2019, almost a quarter of jobs in the supplier sector have been cut. Plant closures have become a common occurrence. The problems are being exacerbated by the situation in foreign markets. The United States remains the largest recipient of German cars, but due to the unpredictable policies of the current administration, exports have noticeably decreased over the past year. Even greater changes have occurred in relations with China, which was one of the most important trading partners and importers. The European market is increasingly opening up to vehicles and parts manufactured in Asia. Imports from China in particular have reached record levels, exceeding European exports to China. As a result, the trade surplus has turned into a deficit. According to analysts, this is an unprecedented situation, difficult to predict just a few years ago.