Credits for to BGN 600 000 for Bulgarian small and medium companies start to grant from the autumn Bulgarian - Swiss Special Fund. At the moment BSSF has BGN 4,7 million explained Mr. Stefan Sotirov, Director of the department European finance institutions at the Ministry of Finance. The credits won't be withpreference interests. 
Source:Trud

Privatization Agency selected MEBO Electria Industry JSC - Sofia. The company obtained 40 per cent from the capital of Incoms Tokoizpraviteli JSC - Pernik. The Agency defined 30 days for negotiations and the sign of the privatization contract. 
Source: Pari
 

A LIST OF COMPANIES OF COMPANIES, WHOSE SHARES ARE BEING  OFFERING FOR SALE   ON NINTH CENTRALIZED PUBLIC AUCTION

After many hinders the Minister of Economy Mr. Peter Zhotev at last decided the discussion about the property of the buildings of Optikoelectron in Surnitza. The Minister decided to sell the company Orlino 1 that is in liquidation to the Bulgarian - Belgian company Star - Konfex SPLtd which is a long-term partner with Riton P. Within the end of the year is expected new production lines and a qualification of the workers. 
Source: Zname

The Sofia company Agraria Ltd will export mineral water from the resort village Shipkovo near Troyan. The concessioner has to invest USD 1 017 000 for construction and installation of the new buildings and equipment. There  are 40 vacant work - places in the future company. 
Source:  BTA

BRIB JSC and the syndics of the insolvent Economic bank signed an agreement. It will be presnted to BNB and court that controls the procedure of insolvency of the bankrupt bank. BRIB JSC becomes the owner of the Economic bank. The Supervisory Director of the bank is Mr. Slavcho Hristov. On April 7th he as a representative of the company Medicus - KSL trading enters the direction of the private bank where early bought 1.5 per cent of it.The Economic bank is in good finance condition and has strong position in the industry. It has not debts to the budget and with an international agreement was cleared the Italian debt of USD 110 million to SACHE. In 1999 the country stroke off ZUNC debts of USD 329 million. Among the debtors were DZU - Stara Zagora, Arsenal, Kremikovtzi and Neftochim.
Source: 24 Hours

*prices as of 18 April, 2000

USA
First-quarter results at Merrill Lynch, the US investment bank, have broken through the billion dollar mark, fuelled by strong growth in brokerage commissions and fees from mergers and acquisitions. The bank - the world's largest retail broker - said net profit rose 70 per cent from $609m for the same period last year to $1.04bn  - a record for the company. Merrill benefited from bouyant turnover on US and global markets during the first three months of the year, sending brokerage commissions up 37 per cent from $1.57bn last year to to $2.15bn. The company also highlighted the performance of its trading division, which reported a 24 per cent increase in revenue to $1.79bn. The result was boosted by fees from advising on mergers and acquisitions, with investment banking revenues up 57 per cent from $633m last year to $996m.
Meanwhile U.S. stock markets soared Monday in a choppy trading session as investors jumped into the bargain bin to snap up technology stocks, cheapened by last week's hefty sell-off. The Nasdaq jumped 217.87 points to 3,539.16. That's up more than 6 percent, but still more than 29 percent below its March 10 highs, sitting deeply in what Wall Street defines as bear territory. The Dow Jones industrial average soared 276.74 points to 10,582.51.
Source: CNNfn