Daily monitor

The Energy Company of Ukraine (ECU) has transferred 52 mln shares of Odesaoblenergo [ODEN UZ, BUY] to the State Property Fund in order to privatize this stake in the company.

Sumy Frunze Machine Building [SMASH UZ, N/R] - one of largest European producers of equipment for the oil, gas, and chemical industries – has secured a deal with the Russian company ‘Tsentratomkomplekt’, for which it intends to supply pumping equipment for nuclear power plants. The contract is worth RUR 230 mln (UAH 53.226 mln as of March 25). According to SMASH’s press service, the equipment is to be delivered by October 2009.

Astarta [AST PW, BUY] has official stated that all agricultural farms which are affiliated with its company are at the final stage of preparing for the spring sowing campaign, which is due to start in the first week of April.

The Sumy Frunze Machine Building [SMASH UZ, N/R] company intends to deliver pumping equipment for nuclear power plants, valued at RUR 230 mln (UAH 53.226 mln or USD 6.8 mln as of March 25) to the Russian Tsentratomkomplekt company.

According to Ukrainian news, Ukrainian oil producers decreased sunflower oil production by 8.9% MoM to 215.8 thsd mt in February 2009.

According to the Ukrainian newspaper “Delo”, the operational committee of the EBRD has approved the decision about providing subordinated debt to five Ukrainian banks: Ukrsotsbank [USCB UZ, U/R], Forum Bank [FORM UZ, U/R], Megabank [MEGA UZ, U/R], Ukrsibbank and Ukreximbank.

According to a note from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), a current account deficit of USD 78 bln was observed in February, thus resulting in a CA surplus for the second month in a row.

MCB Agricol [4GW1 GR, U/R], a Ukrainian agricultural producer that is mainly focused on crop cultivation and grain trading, has started its spring sowing campaign in the southern regions of Ukraine.

Dniproenergo [DNEN UZ, U/R] held its AGM yesterday, with the owners of 97.85% of the company’s shares checking in.

On March 24, 405.0 thsd mt of oil was sold at Resources Auction 127, which took place on the floor of the Ukrainian Interbank Currency Exchange.