Budapest Global Review

Finance

News, data and the wider picture.

Hungary’s €244.6 million current-account deficit: what the new figure shows

Second-quarter external balance cannot be assessed from a minus sign alone: the current account and net lending measure different things.

The central bank is changing its longer-term benchmark. The announcement alone does not rewrite loan contracts or deposit rates.

Euro-area monetary policy can affect Hungarian companies, but the transmission depends on funding currencies and contract terms.

The Fed’s September tightening changed the backdrop for dollar assets. Currency movements also shape a Hungarian saver’s outcome.

Participation rules for supplementary pensions are back in the European policy debate. No new compulsory EU-wide system has been announced.

Technology dependence and less transparent financing channels also shape the financial system’s vulnerabilities.

The special holiday covers 28–29 September; the exchange has indicated normal operations for 28 September.

Romania's January–August 2026 deficit was RON 59.42 billion, down from RON 86.36 billion a year earlier.

Annual growth eased to 4.2% in August. That alone does not establish a turning point in investment.

Central-bank rates influence several parts of the economy.