Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Fitch affirms Bulgaria at 'BBB', outlook positive

Photo: archive

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Bulgaria's long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating (IDR) at 'BBB' with a positive outlook.

Bulgaria's ratings are supported by its strong external and public balance sheets versus 'BBB' peers and a credible policy framework, underpinned by EU membership and a long-standing currency board. In Fitch's view, Bulgaria should meet legal requirements for eurozone accession but the biggest obstacle remains the price stability criterion. HICP inflation in Bulgaria has been running above the rate of the three best performing EU member states since the beginning of the year and is expected to remain elevated throughout 1Q23. “We expect this year's GDP growth to be 3.5% (previous review: 3.0%) due to better-than-expected performance in 1H22 (…) We expect HICP inflation to remain in double digits throughout 1Q23 and to decelerate toward 5.5% yoy by end-2023,” the Fitch rating action commentary reads. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

IT sector attracts thousands but the market cherry picks the most motivated and experienced specialists

IT is one of the leading sectors in terms of salary increases and interest by job seekers in Bulgaria. Before the pandemic all kinds of experts were being hired regardless of their expertise or practical skills, but now preference is given to people..

published on 7/5/24 1:44 PM

BNB sets base interest rate at 3.63% as of July 1

The Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) announced that it is lowering the base interest rate to 3.63% as of July 1. In May and June, the base interest rate was 3.78%. Bulgaria is in a currency board and the Bulgarian lev is pegged to the euro. Therefore,..

published on 7/1/24 8:52 AM

EC: Bulgaria still not meeting eurozone criteria

Bulgaria fulfils three of the Maastricht criteria for joining the euro zone, but still does not meet the price stability and inflation targets, according to a report by the European Commission, as quoted by BTA. Bulgaria does not currently meet the..

published on 6/26/24 1:51 PM