In Brief
Two Greek banks hold acquisition talks in Turkey ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkey’s Tekfenbank is holding talks with two Greek banks and Saudi Oger over plans to enter into a partnership or sell the bank, banking sources told Reuters yesterday. The sources did not name the two banks but a Greek newspaper reported last month that Greece’s second-largest lender Alpha Bank was in talks over Tekfenbank. Saudi Oger is already present in Turkey, with a 55 percent stake in former monopoly Turk Telekom which it bought last year. «At this stage there are no concrete developments to comment on,» Tekfenbank Deputy General Manager Derya Tamerler told Reuters. Earlier Tekfenbank General Manager Mehmet Erten said meetings with foreign banks should conclude in May. April PMI indicates rising confidence in industry The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), compiled according to the views of 300 industry executives, rose to 53.2 points in April from 52 in March, indicating expectations of a continuing recovery in economic activity. The rise was mainly due to increases in production, new orders and employment. A measure of 50 separates increase from contraction. The April data showed rises in the prices of raw materials, mainly oil and metals. Iraklion wins The European Court rejected Great Britain’s appeal against the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) being based in Iraklion, Crete. The UK had contested the method through which the seat of the EU corporation was chosen rather than the location itself. The agency is up and running already, aiming at the collection of information and risk analysis regarding the availability and sustainability of electronic communications networks. Intralot Lottery company Intralot said yesterday it won a $30 million deal to provide Idaho’s state lottery with an online gaming system, boosting its expansion in the United States. Intralot, the world’s third-largest gaming systems operator by revenues, said it will sign a seven-year deal with Idaho’s state lottery with the right for a three-year renewal. The project in Idaho is the third tender for Intralot in the United States, after Nebraska in 2004 and Montana last year. (Reuters) Omega Navigation Omega Navigation Enterprises was listed on the stock markets of New York and Singapore a few weeks ago in order to raise $240 million. The Greek shipping company is run by Giorgos Kassiotis, of the Komninos family, and operates two dry-bulkers of 52,800 deadweight tons, built in 2004. The funds raised from the listings will go to pay for the two dry-bulkers as well as the acquisition of six product tankers, to be delivered this month and next. All its ships have already been chartered. Turning to Greece? Rhodes hoteliers have reportedly received requests from German, British and Italian travel agents for more beds this summer following last week’s terrorist attacks in Egypt, which led to cancellations there. Spain benefited more than Greece from Egypt’s terrorism-related problems last year.
