Bulgaria ranks among the countries in the European Union with the most serious increase in industrial production prices, new Eurostat data for April show. According to the analysis, the main reason is the price of energy. In April 2026, the prices of Bulgarian production leaving factories increased by +14.5% both in the EU and in the euro area compared to the same month in 2025. Increases of 10%, apart from our country, were recorded only in Lithuania (+13.1%) and Romania (+11.5%). For comparison, the most serious declines were registered in Luxembourg (-3.7%), Estonia (-1.2%), Cyprus (-0.7%) and Latvia (-0.6%). According to Eurostat, the main driver of price growth remains the energy sector, where an increase of 12.6% was recorded on an annual basis. There were also increases in capital goods (+1.9%), intermediate goods (+3.7%) and consumer durables (+2.5%), while prices of consumer durables decreased slightly – by 0.2%. Compared to March 2026, industrial production prices in the EU increased by 0.7%, and in the euro area – by 0.6%. The largest monthly growth was recorded in Denmark (+3%), Croatia (+2.7%) and Belgium (+2.4%), while France (-2.1%), Estonia (-0.8%) and Sweden (-0.3%) recorded a decrease. The data show that high energy costs continue to exert significant pressure on industry in the region, with Bulgaria and Romania remaining among the countries with the fastest growing producer prices in the EU.

The National Assembly adopted on second reading major changes to the Investment Promotion Act. The amendments are consistent with the adopted new structure of the Council of Ministers and explicitly define the competencies of the Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry and the Minister of Innovation and Digital Transformation. The regulatory amendments regulate the transformation of the Ministry of Economy and Industry and the Directorate "Incentive Measures and Projects" at the Ministry of Innovation and Growth. They are merging into one common department - the Ministry of Economy, Investments and Industry. The law establishes an entirely new Investment Coordination Council at the Council of Ministers, which includes a total of ten members. The chairman of the council will be the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry, and its members will be nine more cabinet ministers. The newly established body has a wide range of responsibilities in the economic sphere. It will adopt and propose to the government for approval a national investment promotion strategy, while at the same time supporting actions for its implementation. The Council will discuss and provide guidelines for eliminating systemic problems in attracting and servicing investors, will monitor the implementation of the investment policy and will assist in cooperation between individual departments. The body will also have the task of directly supporting the activities of attracting, servicing and implementing investment projects in our country. The voted changes directly affect the mechanism for screening foreign capital. When implementing the procedures towards investors from the countries under the Agreement on the European Economic Area, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the rules valid for the countries of the European Union will now apply. The deputies agreed to consider these countries as low-risk partners for the purposes of screening.

A consortium of six companies, united in the "Alliance for the Decarbonization of Bulgaria", has been selected as the manager of the National Decarbonization Fund. It includes "Impact Capital", "Sustainable Business Leasing", "Kapman Asset Management", Enloc Construct GmbH, "Exergy Max" and "Infinity Energy Solar". The information has not yet been officially confirmed by the Ministry of Energy, and it is also unclear when the contract with the alliance will be signed. The choice of a fund manager is of utmost importance, as it will accumulate funds from various sources, which will subsequently be directed to measures for the renovation of buildings, home RES installations and even support for energy communities. The Alliance for the Decarbonization of Bulgaria association was selected in competition with the tacitly indicated favorite, the Bulgarian Development Bank and the Fund of Funds. However, they dropped out during the procedure. "Impact Capital" AD (formerly known as "Arcus Asset Management") has a major shareholder "Compass Capital". "Impact Capital" provides services in the organization and management of mutual funds and trust management for funds of individual investors. Its Board of Directors includes three people - Ivaylo Angarski, Vladimir Karamfilov and Kristina Boyadzhieva. An interesting detail is that Ivaylo Angarski is the son of the banker and minister in Stefan Sofianski's cabinet Krasimir Angarski. "Sustainable Business Leasing" EOOD - the sole owner of the capital is "Fin Invest Holding". The Board of Directors includes Yulia Yurgakieva, Viktor Baramov and Vesselin Vassilev. The first two were also part of the "Debt Collection Agency". "Kapman Asset Management" AD - an investment intermediary with a Board of Directors of Anton Domozetski, Anelia Trifonova and Sibila Grozdanova - Yankova. Enloc Construct GmbH - the company specializes in the energy renovation of buildings through photovoltaics, heat pumps and heating systems. According to its portfolio, it offers comprehensive solutions for implementing the energy transformation - "efficiently, digitally and with care for the climate". The managers are Ilin Dobrev, Carmen Shtruk (former member of the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce) and Alexander Iliev. "Exergy Max" EOOD with owner Iliya Iliev. The company's main activity is design, engineering, auditing and consulting in the field of energy, heating and air conditioning equipment, etc. The company was registered in 2003 for the implementation of innovative projects leading to savings in the heat and power industry and industry. "Infinity Energy Solar" OOD - the company, owned by Georgi Kaloyanov and Dimitri Tasev in 2024 achieved an increase in its revenues by an impressive 650%. Although it will initially have a minimal budget (of about 7 million euros, "inherited" from the closed Energy Efficiency and Renewable Sources Fund), the goal is for it to quickly start generating revenue from various sources, including even the Emissions Trading Scheme, revenues from municipalities in the form of energy savings from street lighting (about 50 million euros per year), etc. At a later stage, the fund will begin to direct the resource to supporting activities related to decarbonization. The idea is for it to become one of the main instruments for financing renovation, renewable sources for own consumption, and energy efficiency in general. Whether and to what extent it will succeed will be seen very soon - the forecasts are that in the first 6-12 months after the election of the governor, the first measures for citizens will be a fact.

Mass layoffs affecting over 3,100 workers have been announced since the beginning of 2026 in 15 regions of the country, according to data from the Employment Agency. So far, 31 notifications of upcoming mass layoffs have been submitted to labor offices. The procedure applies to larger outbreaks and requires employers to inform the institutions in advance. The largest share of the notifications comes from the manufacturing sector. Among those affected are companies from the automotive industry, manufacturers of textiles, footwear, electronics and batteries, as well as companies from the defense and energy industry. There are also significant layoffs in the IT sector and outsourcing services, where restructuring processes continue. Personnel layoffs are also observed in the energy, logistics and trade sectors. The largest reported layoff is from "CE Bordnetse-Bulgaria", which is also closing a plant in Kapnobat. The manufacturer of automotive wiring harnesses plans to lay off about 800 employees by the end of the year. The company has already suspended operations in Mezdra, shifting production to Romania and Moldova. About 800 jobs affected: The automotive supplier "CE Bordnetse-Bulgaria" suspends operations in Bulgaria until 2027. Among the large employers withdrawing from Bulgaria is the German company MD Electronics in Bratsa. The data cable manufacturer has announced the layoffs of over 500 people. A serious impact on the local labor market is also expected in Galobovo, where the American TPP "A&S Maritsa Iztoĸ 1" has begun laying off around 350 employees following the expiration of the plant's long-term contract with HEK in May. Among the companies with larger orders for the mergers is "ITW Appliance Components" in Plovdiv, a manufacturer of electronic and electromechanical components. The list also includes the Pazardzhik battery manufacturer "Elxim Iskra", which is undergoing restructuring as part of a transformation plan towards smaller and more flexible production. Among the other companies with significant layoffs are Foris Europe and Coca-Cola.

Canadian mining company DPM Metals Inc., formerly known as Dundee Precious Metals, has announced a significant new discovery of high-grade gold-copper porphyry mineralization in Bulgaria. The new zone is called the South Brezen Porphyry (BSP) and is located in the southeastern part of the Brezen exploration license, immediately adjacent to the operating Chelopech mine concession. The discovery is one of the most significant for the company in recent years, demonstrating a large scale and excellent continuity of mineralization. The most serious results to date were reported by the EX_BRESPO_03 well. It intersected a continuous interval of 713 meters with an average grade of 2.52 grams per tonne gold equivalent, which includes 1.31 grams per tonne gold and 1.16 percent copper. Within this same interval, an even richer zone of 398 meters was also established. It has an average content of 3 grams per tonne of gold equivalent, consisting of 1.48 grams per tonne of gold and 1.45 per cent copper. Work on this drilling is currently ongoing. A serious economic and logistical advantage is the proximity of the new discovery to the existing mineral reserves of the Chelopech mine – the distance is only about one kilometre, which could significantly facilitate and accelerate the future development of the deposit. The new mineralized zone is part of an extensive hydrothermal system measuring over 1000 by 1500 metres and remains open to further expansion. Due to the great importance of the project, DPM has already mobilized five high-capacity drilling machines in the BSP area. By the end of 2026, the Canadian company plans to carry out up to 15,000 metres of additional drilling to fully confirm the geometry and continuity of the mineralization, which are necessary for the subsequent resource assessment. The current discovery in Bulgaria is the fourth significant event for DPM since 2023, after the company registered successes with the Choka Rakita and Dumitru Potok deposits in Serbia, as well as in the Wedge zone.

The largest state-owned military enterprise - the Sopot-based Vazovski Masinostroitelni Zavodi (VMZ) - significantly reduced its revenues in the first quarter of 2026. An even larger decline was recorded by the much smaller state-owned company NITI - Kazanlak. VMZ's revenues at the end of March decreased by one third on an annual basis to just over 100 million euros. The company slightly increased its inventories of production and work-in-progress - by 6.5 million euros, which are potential future income. Receivables from customers also increased - nearly 30 times to 44.6 million euros. At the same time, material costs decreased by more than 20%, and personnel costs increased, although the number of employees remained relatively unchanged - 4,918 on average in the first quarter of 2026. Profit shrank by nearly two-thirds. Management expects the plant to fulfill contracts for about 350 million euros by the end of the year. If the forecasts come true, the company will report approximately 450 million euros in revenue for 2026. For comparison, the last published annual report - for 2024 - shows 500 million euros in revenue, which places VMZ in second place in the arms production sector after the private Arsenal. The Kazanlak plant NITI reported 40% lower revenue for the first quarter. Material costs are also decreasing, with production practically slowing down. However, wage costs are increasing, although the staff remains unchanged (about 90 people according to APIS data), with the company complaining about competition for labor from Arsenal in the city. The company remains profitable, but it is shrinking sharply. The management report states that the weaker results are due to the decline in the volume of orders for which the plant is a subcontractor, as well as the lack of sales of a main product for the plant. There is a trend towards reduced use of conventional ammunition and a shift towards the use of drones and medium- and long-range missiles, which the plant does not produce. According to the report, economic difficulties, particularly in mechanical engineering, are also a factor, resulting in a lack of orders for the manufacture of products for civilian production.

Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant is actively working on its transformation program, reports the Executive Director of the plant Chavdar Stoynev. The photovoltaic park is a fact. A battery farm has been built on a separate site, which also supports the balance and is already operating. The biogas installation will also be installed by the end of the year. The investment in the installation, together with the projects, the construction of the site, and the installation of the facilities, may exceed 10 million euros. The capacity is to process 100,000 tons of biomass per year. It has been invested in 3 gas cogeneration units - facilities that will produce highly efficient energy. This is a project that is yet to be developed and will build on the work of the plant. According to the plan, it should start operating by the end of the year. It is planned to complete the gas route for 2027, which will initially replace fuel oil during ignition. The second line on which the Bobov Dol TPP operates is the modernization program, which includes the rehabilitation of the facilities - boilers, electrostatic precipitators and everything related to the power plant, built more than 50 years ago. This year, the main emphasis is on the first unit, the reconstruction of which will be completed in September.

"Bulgarian Rose" AD will distribute a dividend of 0.02 euros to its shareholders according to a decision after the general meeting of shareholders held on June 4. The total distributed amount is 112.65 thousand euros, formed from the profit realized in 2025 in the amount of 22.33 thousand euros and 90.32 thousand euros of general reserves. The gross dividend per share is 0.02105 euros - net 0.02 euros. The starting date for payment of the dividend is July 27, 2026, and the payment period is 6 months. The dividend will be paid in accordance with the requirements of the Public Offering of Securities Act and other applicable norms of the current legislation - under a contract with Central Depository AD and through International Asset Bank AD. The right to receive dividends for 2025 is reserved for persons registered in the shareholders' register no later than June 18, 2026.

"Wiser Technology" AD and the German company Rohde&Schwarz signed a memorandum of understanding during the international exhibition for defense equipment and services in Plovdiv HEMUS 2026. The document outlines opportunities for cooperation in the field of defense, security, aerospace technologies and digital systems of critical importance. The memorandum provides for opportunities for joint work in areas such as software-driven capabilities, system integration and interoperability, software development for critical applications, digital modernization, innovation and exploration of joint opportunities in European and international markets. The agreement creates a basis for strategic dialogue, technical cooperation, joint innovation initiatives and assessment of future partnership opportunities. Specific cooperation opportunities will be considered and implemented through separate agreements between the parties. The signing of the document further expands "Wiser"'s cooperation with leading international organizations in the field of defense and technology and supports the company's strategy to deepen its role in the European defense ecosystem.

The U.S. Federal Reserve said employment has remained steady in recent weeks while inflation has continued to accelerate across much of the country, driven largely by the impact of the Middle East war on energy prices. Overall, economic activity expanded at a moderate to moderate pace in 10 of the Fed’s 12 districts. The analysis is based on data collected by the Fed’s 12 regional offices through May 27. The surge in energy prices since the start of the Iran war has raised concerns about inflation, prompting more Fed officials to say they should keep all options on the table, including tighter monetary policy. However, many said interest rates remain in a good position for now. The report showed that while U.S. economic growth is holding up amid higher spending, businesses are concerned about deteriorating consumer sentiment. The strongest hiring has been in manufacturing in several areas, “supported by defense-related activity and rising demand for data centers.” Most areas continue to paint a picture of low hiring and low layoffs. “Hiring remains selective and focused primarily on key positions or replacing laid-off employees,” the Fed said. The central bank’s preferred measure of inflation rose 3.8% in the 12 months through the end of April, the biggest increase since 2023. Investors expect Fed officials to keep interest rates unchanged at their June 16-17 meeting, but are projecting a quarter-point hike by March next year.

The Pinglu Canal, a megaproject designed in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to handle vessels of the 5,000-metric-ton class, entered the water-testing phase, bringing it a step closer to its official opening in September. As the first canal built in the country to connect a river system directly to the sea since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the landmark infrastructure project is expected to establish a convenient and cost-effective passage between China and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Guangxi is the only region that links China to the ASEAN market by both land and sea. The 134.2-kilometer-long waterway is a key project on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor that connects China’s western regions to global markets. With more than 96 percent of the project now complete, the waterway is scheduled to open to traffic during the China-ASEAN Expo scheduled for September. Upon completion, the canal will reduce the inland shipping distance for export-quality goods from southwestern China by more than 560 km, compared with the previous route through Guangzhou port, and save around 5.2 billion yuan ($768 million) annually in logistics costs. Asianews