Bucharest Stock Exchange BET index rises nearly 2%

The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) concluded the week with gains, led by the BET index, which rose 1.76% to 32,330.90 points. This performance marks the third consecutive day of growth for the index, recovering losses seen earlier in the week.

Significant individual stock increases of over 5% were recorded for companies including Cris-Tim, Nuclearelectrica, Transgaz, and Premier Energy. Sectoral indices such as BET-NG (energy and utilities) and BET-FI (financial investment companies) also saw notable gains.

The market recovery follows five weeks of declines driven by political instability and concerns regarding Romania's sovereign rating. Standard & Poor's recently maintained Romania's sovereign rating in the investment grade category but warned that political deadlock and the lack of a functional government could jeopardize budget deficit reductions and increase national financing costs.

Economic forecasts from Standard & Poor's suggest the Romanian economy may contract by 0.5% this year, with projected growth of 2.25% in 2027. The budget deficit is expected to decrease from 6.25% of GDP in 2026 to 5.8% the following year, while average inflation is projected at 8.3% for the current year.