Monthly inflation in Bulgaria in April 2026, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), is expected to reach 2 percent, and the annual rate to accelerate to 7.1 percent. This is shown by the preliminary flash data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI), published within the framework of the new methodology for early disclosure of price dynamics. The forecasted values ​​for April mark a distinct increase compared to previous months. In March, monthly inflation was 0.9 percent at an annual level of 4.1 percent. The analysis of the data so far shows that the discrepancy between the flash estimates and the final results of statistics is minimal, which gives a high degree of reliability to the preliminary indicators. In January and February, the annual levels ranged between 3.3 and 3.5 percent, which means that the April levels represent a significant acceleration of inflationary processes. The main contributors to the expected price increase in April are the groups "Transport" with a projected growth of 10.6 percent and "Clothing and footwear" with an increase of 7.9 percent compared to the previous month. Food products and non-alcoholic beverages are expected to increase in price by 2.1 percent, and alcohol and tobacco products - by 0.8 percent. The only sector in which a decrease in prices is predicted on a monthly basis is "Entertainment, sports and culture", where the decline is within 1.5 percent.

Loans to households and non-profit organizations serving households (NPOOs) in Bulgaria increased by 20.8 percent to EUR 29.866 billion, and deposits increased by 19.9 percent to EUR 55.702 billion at the end of March compared to the same month in 2025, according to BNB data. According to data from the end of March, housing loans were EUR 17.616 billion and increased by 27.5 percent on an annual basis. Consumer loans amounted to EUR 11.260 billion and increased by 13.2 percent compared to March 2025. On an annual basis, other loans (including funds allocated to owners' associations under the National Program for Energy Efficiency of Multi-Family Residential Buildings) increased by 9.2 percent, reaching EUR 286.6 million. Loans to employers and self-employed persons decreased by 6.8 percent year-on-year in March and were EUR 263.4 million at the end of the month. Loans to non-financial corporations increased by 11.8 percent year-on-year in March and were EUR 28.279 billion at the end of the month. Loans to financial corporations were EUR 4.892 billion at the end of March. Compared to March 2025, they increased by 10.8 percent. At the end of March, total loans to the non-government sector (non-financial corporations, financial corporations, households and NPISHs) increased by 15.8 percent year-on-year and were EUR 63.037 billion at the end of the month (51.1 percent of GDP in March 2025). According to the data, total deposits of the sector were EUR 84.517 billion (68.5 percent of GDP) at the end of March, the data also show. They increased by 16.2 percent year-on-year. Household and NPISH deposits were EUR 55.702 billion at the end of March, an increase of 19.9 percent compared to the same month in 2025. Deposits of non-financial corporations were EUR 26.760 billion, an increase of 11.9 percent year-on-year. Deposits of financial corporations decreased by 12.7 percent year-on-year in March and reached EUR 2.055 billion at the end of the month.

The board of directors of "Shop for People" EAD has submitted resignation applications "due to the continued lack of institutional dialogue from the management of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, clear management direction and support from the principal". Despite the submitted resignation applications, the management will continue to fulfill its duties within the notice period "with the necessary responsibility and commitment to the activities of the company, employees, partners and the public interest". Currently, "Shop for People" EAD has built a network of 110 retail outlets in about 90 settlements, with another 25-30 in the process of negotiation. In the second half of February, the acting Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov stated regarding the "Shop for People" initiative that he would make a decision to close it if the audit of the 10 million leva spent found a lack of social function and market distortion. "Shop for People" is operating at a loss, Hristanov stated at the end of February. Deputies approved the creation of a state-owned chain of grocery stores in the second half of March 2025.

One of the newest and smallest players in general insurance – "Fenix ​​Insurance" has expanded its license and can now sell the mandatory "Third Party Liability" insurance for drivers. This is clear from a decision of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) of March 12 this year. The insurer "Fenix ​​Insurance" is one of the newest companies in the economic conglomerate of the son and brother of the elected chairwoman of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee, Vessela Lecheva – Martin Velev and Daniel Lechev. The main holding, which unites a large part of Velev and Lechev's businesses, including financial and construction - "MVF Holding", reports total revenues in 2024 of 491 million leva and a net profit of 53 million leva. Martin Velev and Daniel Lechev operate in several main sectors - quick loans (in Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Spain and Mexico), gambling (gambling halls and online games under the Sesame brand), hospitality, real estate and construction (of residential buildings in Bulgaria and Slovenia), and in 2024 the group also entered insurance. It also has a pawnshop business through the company "Cash Point Pawnshops", but its revenue is minimal. The main quick loan company of Lecheva's relatives - "City Cash" is one of the largest on the market in our country. Its revenues from financial services in 2024 were 138 million leva, and its profit was 11 million leva. In addition to City Cash, the financial business of Lechev and Velev unites, under the umbrella of MV Finance, a total of 10-15 companies (mainly for quick money) not only in Bulgaria, but also abroad - from North Macedonia and Moldova to Mexico. MV Finance's announced revenues for 2024 are nearly 287 million leva, and the company's profit after taxes is nearly 40 million leva. Fenix ​​Insurance is a newly formed company in the MV Finance group. MV Finance is an international financial group with over 3,000 employees, uniting companies specializing in consumer lending in Southeast Europe, including Bulgaria. The gambling company "Sesam Online" EOOD has announced revenues for 2024 of 37.9 million BGN, but due to the huge expenses (for example, 16.6 million BGN for external services, 5.6 million BGN for marketing and advertising, etc.), the profit on which tax was paid is only 0.8 million BGN. The other gambling company in the group - "Polo 11", has announced revenues of 30 million BGN and expenses excluding taxes - about 23 million BGN. "Sesam" has 24 locations (mainly gaming halls) in 14 cities in our country. In construction, the family is known to have 4-star hotels on the Black Sea coast with casinos, and in 2023 it bought the former Piraeus Bank building (Emerald building) at 115 Tsarigradsko Shose Blvd. next to The Mall in Sofia, where the holding's headquarters (MVF Holding) is now located. The insurance company Phoenix Insurance (formerly MV Insurance) was established in 2024. Last year it reported a minimal market share of 0.1%, but a few weeks ago it obtained a license for the most competitive market niche in insurance in our country - Civil Liability.

The Swedish public technology company White Pearl Technology Group has acquired the Bulgarian digital agency CreateX, which is one of the fastest growing in the sector. The founder of CreateX, Alexander Ivanov, emphasized that the company remains closely connected to its roots in Veliko Tarnovo. Despite the international scale of the deal, the office in the Buzludzha district continues to operate, and the team and management remain unchanged. The value of the acquisition starts at 1 million euros, and depending on the results over the next three years, it can reach 3 million euros. Alexander Ivanov is popular not only as an entrepreneur, but also as an inspirer and teacher, whose courses at the Software University have been attended by over 50,000 people.

With project financing of 7.6 million euros, an industrial zone will be built in Vratsa, and by 2029, the terrains with underground and above-ground infrastructure must be developed. The industrial park is planned to cover over 300 acres. A street network, sidewalks, public transport stops, bicycle lanes, as well as administrative and service infrastructure will be built in it. Entrance and exit boulevards from the main road will be separated. There is also a lake in the terrain, which will be preserved as part of the zone. At the moment, it is planned to separate about 20 properties, and the distribution will be in accordance with the interests of investors. The industrial park will be located about 5 kilometers from Vratsa in the direction of Krivodol. In the four years of the existence of the Municipal Enterprise "Industrial Zones-Vratsa" EOOD, the municipality has invested 10,000 leva in it. The zone is currently being designed, and public procurement for the selection of a contractor will be announced soon. BTA recalls that the project is 100 percent financed through the developed Concepts for Integrated Territorial Investments (KITI). Within the framework of the same mechanism, the construction of a multifunctional sports hall "Arena Vratsa", the supply of electric buses and the second stage of the public works of the central part of the city are planned in Vratsa.

The Council of Ministers adopted a Decision to grant consent to transfer the ownership right to a property - private state property as a non-monetary contribution to the capital of the "University Multi-profile Hospital for Active Treatment "St. George" EAD, Plovdiv. The property is located in the city of Plovdiv, "Western" district, "Park of Recreation and Culture" and represents a land plot with an area of ​​1176 sq. m, adjacent to the property in which the buildings of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of the University Hospital "St. George" EAD, Plovdiv are located. This Decision will provide an opportunity for the implementation of future investment intentions, with the aim of sustainable development of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of the University Hospital "St. George" EAD.

The water park of Sozopol businessman Georgi Tumpalov has been put up for public sale due to debts. A private bailiff is selling two properties – one with an area of ​​36 acres and a starting price of 10.2 million euros, and the other with an area of ​​2.3 acres and a price of 161 thousand euros. In both cases, it is a matter of fulfilling a claim from the Bulgarian-American Credit Bank, which financed the construction of the water park. According to the public sale file, since 2025 there has been a foreclosure imposed in favor of the Territorial Directorate of the National Revenue Agency in Burgas. The property is owned by the company Neptune Sozopol EOOD, which belongs to Kostadin Tumpalov, son of Georgi Tumpalov. Flagman.bg

Petar Krilchev is the new General Manager of Visa Bulgaria. He will be responsible for developing the company’s business strategy, strengthening partnerships with banks, financial institutions, fintech companies and merchants, as well as supporting the digitalization of the Bulgarian economy. Petar Krilchev takes over from Krasimira Raicheva, who led Visa’s operations in Bulgaria since the company entered the market and played a key role in its establishment and development in the country. The company will continue to invest in data-driven technologies and solutions that strengthen security and support the sustainable growth of the payments ecosystem. Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global leader in digital payments, processing transactions between consumers, merchants, financial and government institutions in over 200 countries and territories.

The electric yacht manufacturing company Helios Marine AD has filed for listing on the small and medium-sized enterprise market beam of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE). The company will offer investors 343 thousand ordinary, registered, dematerialized, freely transferable shares, each with a nominal value of 0.51 euros and a fixed issue price of 8.75 euros, the exchange announced. The advisor on the issue is Karol AD ​​Investment Company. The company was founded by brothers Dimitar and Dragomir Enchevi and debuted with the Omega yacht at the Cannes exhibition in the fall of 2025. The boat was awarded an international award for best electric boat in the category up to 8 meters. Helios develops the batteries and software for the boats in-house, according to the company's website. The technologies are implemented both in the company's boats and as solutions for other manufacturers, i.e. The company is simultaneously positioned as a manufacturer of electric yachts and as a technology provider. The company is expanding its production and development capacity with a new base in Burgas. Helios offers three yacht models. In addition to Omega, the company has developed Alpha with a length of 14.6 meters and Sigma with a length of 4.5 meters. For 2024, the company reports a little over 300 thousand leva in revenue and over 1 million leva in expenses, realizing a loss of 235 thousand leva compared to a loss of 75 thousand leva in the previous 2023.

The European Parliament has approved its negotiating position on the EU's long-term budget for the period 2028-2034. The interim report on the subject was voted on in plenary in Strasbourg with the support of 370 MEPs, thus starting talks with the Council of the European Union. Parliament's position envisages that the budget after 2027 will be fixed at 1.27% of the Union's gross national income (GNI). An important detail in the request is that the debt service costs of the NextGenerationEU recovery fund, estimated at 0.11% of GNI, should be excluded from these limits. MEPs are proposing a financial framework that is around 10% higher than the European Commission's initial estimates. This represents a nominal increase of over €175 billion compared to Brussels' proposal last year. In its final form, Parliament's request amounts to €1.78 trillion in constant prices from 2025, which at current prices is equivalent to a massive €2.01 trillion over the seven-year period. The report highlights the need to finance new priorities related to defence and the competitiveness of the European economy. Despite the new guidelines, Parliament strongly calls for maintaining the current levels of funding for traditional cohesion and agricultural policies, which remain key to cohesion within the Community. The final framework of the multiannual financial framework will depend on the outcome of negotiations between the three leading EU institutions, with the aim of ensuring stable funding in a context of geopolitical uncertainty and the need for technological modernisation.

The U.S. trade deficit widened more than expected in March as imports grew faster than exports, suggesting foreign trade is likely to weigh on economic growth in the first quarter, Reuters reported. The trade deficit widened 5.3 percent to $87.9 billion from $83.5 billion in February, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a deficit of $86.95 billion. The agency resumed its preliminary trade report, which includes trade balance and inventory data, after they were temporarily suspended due to the partial government shutdown last year. The data is a key component of the preliminary estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product, due out on Wednesday. Imports of goods increased by $9.6 billion to $299.3 billion, driven by an 11 percent increase in automobile imports. Imports of food, consumer and capital goods, and industrial raw materials also increased. Some of the imported goods remained as inventories. Wholesale inventories rose by 1.4 percent and retail inventories by 0.7 percent, which may partially limit the negative impact on GDP. Exports of goods increased by $5.2 billion to $211.5 billion, supported by higher shipments of food, automobiles, capital goods, and industrial raw materials, including oil. At the same time, exports of consumer goods fell by 7.5 percent. Economists expect the US-Israeli military conflict against Iran, which is disrupting oil supplies and pushing up prices, could support exports in the coming months, as Washington is a net oil exporter. A Reuters poll showed the US economy grew 2.3 percent at an annual rate in the latest quarter, after a much weaker 0.5 percent in the previous three months.

Central banks increased their gold holdings at the fastest pace in more than a year in the first quarter as prices fell. That spurred a wave of buying that offset some institutional sales. Net institutional purchases rose to 244 tonnes in the first three months of the year, up from 208 tonnes in the previous quarter, according to estimates from the World Gold Council, cited by Bloomberg. Poland, Uzbekistan and China were the biggest buyers, although some other purchases were not reported. The price of gold has been volatile this year, hitting a record high in January but then fell sharply in March after the US-Iran war erupted. Among the factors weighing on the precious metal were rising energy prices, which in turn increased expectations that central banks would keep interest rates steady or even raise them in an effort to tackle inflation. That’s a headwind for the non-interest-bearing precious metal. The increase in net holdings is particularly visible given that several central banks have been actively selling. Turkey, Russia and Azerbaijan have joined a number of other smaller banks and sovereign wealth funds in parting with a combined 115 tonnes over the period. The selling has raised concerns at the time about institutions’ continued appetite for gold, a trend that has been a major driver of the multi-year rally. Each bank has its own motivation for selling: Turkey is trying to shield its currency and economy from the effects of the war, Russia is struggling with a budget deficit and Azerbaijan needs to keep its holdings within allowable limits. Much of the central bank purchases included in the Gold Council’s data are not officially announced and are not included in the International Monetary Fund’s statistics. Consulting firm Metals Focus calculates the purchases on behalf of the Council using a combination of publicly available data, trade statistics and field surveys.