The funds managed by the companies carrying out insurance activities in Bulgaria amounted to 12.037 billion leva as of the end of June. Their size increased by 1.220 billion leva (11.3%) on an annual basis and by 275.9 million leva (2.3%) compared to the end of the first quarter of this year, according to data from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). Insurance services in Bulgaria are offered by 47 companies - in the field of life insurance 12 companies, and in general insurance - 35, incl. one company specializing in reinsurance. The assets of the companies carrying out life insurance increased by 342.6 million leva (10.7%) - from 3.190 billion leva a year ago to 3.533 billion leva as of the end of June. Compared to the end of March, they increased by 107.9 million leva (3.2%). Their relative share in the total assets at the end of June 2025 is 29.4%, compared to 29.5% at the end of the second quarter of 2024 and 29.1% at the end of March this year. The funds managed by the companies engaged in general insurance increased by BGN 877.8 million (11.5%) - from BGN 7.626 billion as of June 30, 2024 to BGN 8.504 billion as of the end of the second quarter of 2025, and by BGN 168 million (2%) on a quarterly basis.

The European Commission has approved a preliminary financial plan to strengthen the European Union's defence capabilities. Under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, which has a budget of €150 billion, Bulgaria could receive €3.26 billion for army modernisation and joint military procurement. SAFE aims to boost the bloc's defence capabilities and help member states address critical gaps through joint procurement of defence products. According to the preliminary allocation, Bulgaria could receive €3,261,700,000 in financial assistance. The SAFE programme was adopted by the EU Council in May 2025 and has already attracted strong interest, with 19 member states, including Bulgaria, expressing their intention to participate. SAFE will provide long-term, low-interest loans to countries to purchase urgently needed defence equipment. One of the main advantages of the programme is the 10-year grace period for loan repayment. SAFE will also allow for continued support for Ukraine. Member States currently have until the end of November 2025 to prepare their national investment plans. In these, they must describe how they will use the possible financial assistance. The EC plans to make the first payments in early 2026.

150 locations within 3-4 years - these are the ambitious plans of the Romanian-founded coffee chain 5 to go, which is officially entering the Bulgarian market with a franchise model and its own locations. The company is in the Top 7 on the continent and is in first place in Eastern Europe, with over 650 cafes and a 55% market share in Romania alone. The design of the locations will be in two versions with a focus on spaces from 20 to 30 sq. m. 5 to go also plans to open its own large representative location in Sofia, where the so-called 5 to go Academy for baristas and professional training will operate, as well as an office for franchise operations. In Bulgaria, 5 to go will offer conditions for access to a franchise with fees similar to those in Romania. The franchise agreement will be valid for a period of 7 years, with a 4% royalty fee, 1.5% marketing fee and an initial franchise fee of 4,500 euros. According to preliminary estimates, the investment for a turnkey facility will vary between 18,000 and 25,000 euros depending on the area. It includes equipment, permits, initial charging and interior furnishings. In parallel, 5 to go is also starting a business with products for the retail sector in our country, and already has a partnership with Minimart stores and a local distributor. The business manager in Bulgaria will be Georgi Muhovski, who has over 10 years of experience in the food and beverage and commercial real estate sectors. Most recently, he was deputy retail manager at Forton | Cushman & Wakefield, and before that he developed the networks of chains such as Starbucks, KFC and Burger King.

Eurobank Bulgaria AD has been ranked first in the Sofia Municipality's public procurement for a servicing bank. The decision of the Sofia Municipality can be appealed within 10 days of the announcement of the decision, announced on September 5. Eurobank was one of the four invited to participate in the procedure after the municipality refused the services of a Municipal Bank. It won by not charging any fees for converting euros and yen, given the loan that the Sofia Municipality previously took out from the Japan Development Bank for the construction of the first section of the metro. No fees will be charged for transactions at physical POS terminals. The value of the contract is BGN 2.5 million.

As of July 31, 2025, MacGregor officially began its operations as an independent company under the ownership of Triton - a leading European investment company in the mid-market segment. Previously, MacGregor was part of Hiab (formerly Cargotec) Corporation. MacGregor Bulgaria officially launched its operations on January 1, 2025, covering key corporate functions - Finance, Human Resources, IT, Purchasing and Business Analytics. In addition, the organization is also developing functions such as internal and business control, third-party risk management and master data. Today, the MacGregor Bulgaria team numbers around 120 specialists who support the company's business in over 20 countries. The Sofia center has built a strategic role for MacGregor's global operations, combining execution, improvement and process management with real business impact. MacGregor will continue to build long-term value for its customers in the marine and offshore sector through its broad portfolio of products and services. The Business Services Center in Sofia will strengthen its position as a strategic partner and will actively contribute to the company's upcoming global projects.

"Ioniki Bulgaria 2007" EOOD of Nikolay Valkov Hristov from the town of Veliki Preslav, Shumen region, is the next investor in the town of Dobrinishte, which will build a hotel. It will be on 3 floors, on an area of ​​1445 sq.m in Duravetso. It is planned to have a living room, lobby bar, restaurant with 50 seats, fitness room, sauna and jacuzzi, games room and 35 hotel rooms. There will be a parking lot for 6 cars in the yard. The investor is a grain producer - his company, founded in 2007, is engaged in the cultivation of cereals, tubers, technical and fodder crops. In Dobrinishte, there are currently more than 40 places for accommodation, a Finnish holiday village, nearby are the "Gotse Delchev" and "Bezbog" chalets, along the paths to which there are also declared investment intentions for the construction of holiday resorts. The prices for tourist accommodation vary from 75,900 euros for an apartment in a small closed hotel /925.61 euros per sq m/, to 550,000 euros, which is the price of a luxury house with 3 bedrooms and a private pool, which will be put into operation in July 2026 at the earliest. Old houses in Dobrinishte go for around 80,000 euros, a new 3-storey one is 392,000 euros. A 3-acre property has been valued by its owner for 150,000 euros, which is 100,000 leva per hectare, and a 7-acre meadow is offered for 87,000 euros.

Silvena Bogoeva is the new CEO and member of the Management Board of ProCredit Bank. Bogoeva has been part of the bank’s team since 2008 and in 2024 became the procurator of the credit institution, and now takes on her new role with a clear vision and strong commitment to the development of the organization in key areas – work with Business Clients, Human Resources, Cards and Card Payments, Sustainability. The bank’s Management Board also includes Kamelia Mineva – Chairperson and CEO, Reni Peycheva – CEO, Rumyana Todorova – CEO, and Ivan Dachev – CEO. ProCredit Bank Bulgaria and its branch in Greece are 100% owned by ProCredit Holding AG, with headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The holding is the parent company of the development-oriented international ProCredit group, which consists of banks specializing in servicing micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Most ProCredit banks operate in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, but the group is also represented in South America and Germany.

Plot of 111 decares with a newly built 4.9 MWp photovoltaic plant (56 decares) and an adjacent free plot (55 decares) with development potential at a key location in the city of Blagoevgrad

The average price of agricultural output in the EU rose by 5.6% in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. This confirms the upward trend after a period of decline, according to data from the European statistics agency Eurostat. The average cost of goods and services used in agriculture and not related to investment – ​​such as energy, fertilisers or feed – increased slightly (0.4%) between the second quarter of 2024 and the second quarter of 2025. Comparing output prices for the second quarter of 2025 with the same period in 2024, significant increases were observed for key agricultural products such as eggs (27.8%), fruit (21.1%) and milk (13.3%). In contrast, the prices of olive oil (-39.9%) and potatoes (-29.1%) recorded sharp declines. Among non-investment input costs, the largest growth was recorded for fertilizers and soil improvers (5.6 percent) and veterinary costs (3.3 percent). The largest decline was for energy and lubricants (-5.8 percent), with the price of motor fuel within this group decreasing by 10.8 percent. Agricultural production prices in the second quarter of 2025 were higher than in the same period of 2024 in all EU countries except Greece. The highest growth rates were recorded in Latvia (21.8 percent), Ireland (21.1 percent) and Luxembourg (18.4 percent). In Bulgaria, prices increased by 16.07 percent. In Greece, on the contrary, a slight decrease of 0.1 percent was recorded for this period. As for non-investment expenditure, 17 EU countries reported an increase in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. The largest increases were recorded in the Netherlands (6.1%), Hungary (5.6%) and Austria (2.9%). Among the countries with a decrease in expenditure, the largest decreases were recorded in Cyprus and Bulgaria (both -3.4%) and Romania (-3.1%).

In 2015, after many years of exploration, the American Exxon Mobil discovered a large oil field in the territory of the South American country of Guyana. According to data from 2024, Guyana produces over 1.7 billion barrels per year. The country has increased its revenue from the raw material to $ 2.57 billion, with $ 348 million from royalties received from the Exxon Mobil group, writes Greek Reporter. After the discovery of the field, the danger of the so-called "Dutch disease" arose - an increase in the value of the currency due to a large and sudden income in the economy. This makes exports more expensive and increases unemployment. To avoid this, Guyana created an offshore fund to store oil revenues and gradually redirect them to the local economy (similar to Norway). Thanks to the "black gold" Guyana has exceeded the forecast for annual economic growth for 2024, reaching a growth of 43.6%. This year, the results are expected to be even better, with the opening of a fourth oil production facility in late August. The company hopes that this will increase production to more than 900,000 barrels per day. Experts predict that by 2027, Guyana will overtake Saudi Arabia and Kuwait in oil production per capita, which, according to World Bank data, is just over 831,000 people. According to Finance Minister Singh, the oil sector expanded by 57.7% last year, while other sectors grew by 13.1%. Guyana still relies on sugar and rice farming, as well as gold and diamond mining. Despite the country's improving economic situation, Guyana ranks 108th in the world in the Human Development Index and 154th in life expectancy. According to 2020 data, 41% of the population lives below the poverty line of $5.50 a day. Crime is also a problem - illegal logging and gold mining remain on the agenda, and the suicide rate is four times higher than average. The discovery of oil deposits also brings negatives to the country - Venezuela claims territories to the west, and Suriname - to the east. Despite the problems that still exist in the country, Guyana's luck has made it the fastest growing country in the world for two consecutive years. Oil revenues can significantly improve the lives of locals, many of whom face serious poverty. For example, the government is investing in the construction of the country's first deep-sea port, which is expected to give a new impetus to the economy.

China's export growth slowed sharply in August as shipments to the United States fell by a third amid ongoing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, world agencies reported. Exports rose 4.4 percent year-on-year, the weakest pace in six months and significantly slower than a 7.2 percent increase in July, compared with expectations for a 5 percent increase. Imports rose 1.3 percent year-on-year after a 4.1 percent increase in July. Expectations had been for a 3 percent increase. The trade surplus widened to $102.3 billion from $98.24 billion in July, compared with a forecast of $99.4 billion. The slowdown was mainly due to a 33 percent drop in shipments to the United States. In mid-August, China and the United States agreed to extend a truce in their tariff dispute for 90 days, but high tariffs remain in place — including a 30 percent tariff on Chinese goods entering the United States and a 10 percent tariff on American products in China. Chinese exports to other regions are doing better. Shipments to the European Union are up more than 10 percent, and those to Germany are up 7.5 percent. Chinese manufacturers are stepping up efforts to boost sales in Asia, Africa and Latin America to offset the hit from U.S. tariffs, although replacing U.S. demand remains difficult.