Bank of Cyprus and Laiki Bank are forecast to boost their 2005 profits by more than 50% on top of a spectacular performance in 2004, with Hellenic Bank also seen over-turning its losses and returning to profit. The average of forecasts by three of the island’s best research firms, Sharelink, CLR and Egnatia polled by

Options Cassoulides Co. (OPT) is aiming to improve its margins in order to boost profitability in tandem with the spectacular turnaround achieved last year and following a reorganisation of its capital base, return to a dividend paying policy. Yiannos Cassoulides, CEO of OPT told the Financial Mirror that 55% of total turnover amounting in 2004

The harmonised consumer price index (HICP) for February 2005 recorded an increase of 2.4% compared to the corresponding month of February 2004, compared with 2.8% year on year in January. This was slightly higher than consumer price inflation in February, which reached 2.4% in the same month. On a month-on-month basis, harmonised prices fell again,

Risk that brokerage will shift to Athens The Cyprus Stock Exchange needs to move fast to fix the problems that are keeping away foreign institutional investors, if it is to stop the entire brokerage business shifting to Athens when the Cyprus-Athens common trading platform comes into force this year, says Marios Hadjiyiannakis, Managing Director of

The Archbishopric may sue the Board members of Hellenic Copper Mines Ltd., including its Chairman Constantinos Loizides for mismanagement and as part of its attempt to reduce its obligations now reported at CYP 7 mln. Hellenic Copper Mines Ltd, in which the Church holds a 39.96% stake through Hellenic Mining Corporation (EME), faces a massive

Cyprus, along with five new member states is lobbying to reduce the fines likely to be imposed by Brussels for allowing speculative sugar hoarding in the run-up to EU membership, but a final decision may be delayed until the summer. EU officials appear to favour a decision to postpone a decision on the level of