http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news/default.asp Financial-Analyst Russian Brokerage Company: Russian Stock Market, Investment in Russia, Russian Stocks en-us http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news0456C/default.asp July 24. Gazprom's BoD has authorized a RUB 111.53 bn increase in the company's investment program for 2008 to RUB 821.66 bn, earlier approved by the company's board. The increase was carried out according to the investment program approved in December 2007. The volume of capital... 2008-07-24 10:08:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news0456B/default.asp July 24. Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has closed a deal to attract a USD 1.6 bn 5-year syndicated loan at LIBOR + 1.2% pa. The drawn funds will be used for refinancing the company's current debt, financing NLMK's capital investments pursuant to the technical re-equipment program, and for... 2008-07-24 10:07:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news0456A/default.asp July 24. Standard & Poor's has upgraded its long-term rating for NLMK to the investment level of BBB-. The rating carries a stable outlook. Earlier, the long-term corporate credit rating for NLMK was BB+, also with a stable outlook. Additionally, S&P confirmed NLMK's Russian-scale long-term... 2008-07-24 10:06:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04569/default.asp July 24. Polymetal may engage its partners in a project to build a hydrometallurgical plant in Amursk, Khabarovsk Territory, Polymetal general director, Vitaly Nesus said in a phone-conference on Wednesday. "We are currently in preliminary negotiations with these companies", he said in reply... 2008-07-24 10:05:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04568/default.asp July 24. X5 Retail will file a claim at the Moscow Arbitration Court with a request to declare invalid the conditions set by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) while authorizing the deal to acquire Karusel hypermarket chain. The retailer believes that FAS's order is illegal and claims... 2008-07-24 10:04:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04567/default.asp July 24. Any court ruling under the lawsuit filed by X5 Retail Group against the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) will play in favor of the suppliers' defense, the head of FAS's social services and trade control department, Timofei Nizhegorodtsev said. According to him, if FAS wins, it... 2008-07-24 10:03:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04566/default.asp July 24. The OGK-3 BoD has terminated the powers of the genco's board member and CEO, Sergei Tazin, OGK-3 said in a report. Tazin should leave OGK-3 in late July and will work as head of the Russia business unit at German E.ON. Additionally, the OGK-3 BoD has introduced Alexandra Panina,... 2008-07-24 10:02:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04565/default.asp July 24. RusHydro has defined the form of its energy retail asset consolidation. RusHydro BoD has made a decision to establish RusHydro Energy Retail Company. RusHydro will hold 57.4% in the company, while the remaining 42.6% of shares will belong to the New Energy fund, RusHydro said on its... 2008-07-24 10:01:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04563/default.asp July 23. In 3Q, Russian banks will make foreign debt payments to a total of USD 13.4 bn, a 37% decrease from USD 21.3 bn in 2Q. According to the external debt recovery schedule as of 1 April 2008, published on the Central Bank's website, in 3Q, the banks will have to pay USD 11.7 bn of... 2008-07-23 11:09:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04562/default.asp July 23. On 1 August 2008, oil export duty will hit new historical record high and amount to USD 495.9 per ton. Russian PM, Vladimir Putin signed the corresponding decree on July 21, the government's press-service reported. The current oil export duty amounts to USD 398.1 per ton. The... 2008-07-23 11:08:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news04561/default.asp July 23. Severstal revised upwards its planned volume of investments into the development of US-based WCI Steel (Warren, Ohio). In its corrected prospectus for Eurobonds issue, Severstal said that WCI's estimated needs in capital investments in 2008-2012 amounted to nearly USD 175 mn. The... 2008-07-23 11:07:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news0455F/default.asp July 23. Mechel has started making long-term contracts for coke supplies with Russian consumers. In line with the company's announcement, Mechel has signed an agreement for coking coal supplies with the largest Russian metallurgical plant at a fixed price for 3Q 2008. "The company is... 2008-07-23 11:05:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news0455E/default.asp July 22. Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) has wrapped up the buyout procedure in Dolomit, Stagdok and Altai-Koks. As a result, NLMK became full owner of the above companies. As earlier reported, pursuant to the current legislation, On May 23, NLMK filed a buyout request to Dolomit, Stagdok and... 2008-07-23 11:04:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news0455C/default.asp July 23. LSR Group, the largest developer and construction materials producer in North-Western Russia, has become an important player in the commercial property segment in Moscow. In line with the company's announcement, Mosstroyrekonstruktsiya (MSR), part of LSR group, has signed a... 2008-07-23 11:02:00 http://www.fin-rus.com/newtopics/news0455B/default.asp July 23. Acron's price range within the SPO amounts to USD 12-15 per GDR and USD 120-150 per share. In line with the company's announcement, the shares and GDRs, which stand for up to 10% in Acron's share capital, are being offered to Dorogobuzh (an Acron subsidiary) and some other... 2008-07-23 11:01:00