Barclays Bank has been renamed into Expobank, the respective amendments made in the Bank of Russia's state registration book for credit institutions, reported the bank's press service

Sberbank has softened the terms of granting auto loans and cancelled a mandatory income and employment confirmation for those borrowers who wish to obtain an auto loan with the down payment of at least 40%. The step was induced by the severe competition in this segment of the market and a slowing-down growth of the bank's auto loan portfolio

Sberbank expects its retail loan portfolio to increase about 26% in 2012 versus the growth of 36.6% in 2011, Natalia Alymova, Director of Retail Lending of the largest Russian bank, told at a news conference on February 8

Representatives of Rosneft refused to meet with analysts of investments banks; one of the news - in 2012 company's capital investments will amount to USD 15.5 billion (against USD 13.2 in 2011), Troika Dialog and VTB Capital informed

On February 8, 2012, at 12.00 p.m. Moscow time Bashneft opened the bid book for investors to acquire its fourth series bond issue worth RUR 10 billion, the oil company said in a statement. The bid book will be open until 3:00 pm Moscow time, February 15

The Finance Ministry successfully held an auction of the federal loan bonds (OFZ). Investors were offered securities maturing in 2021 totaling RUR 35 billion. Demand outgrew supply more than twofold amounting to RUR 92.099 billion. As a result the Finance Ministry placed federal loan bonds (OFZ) for RUR 34.469 billion, cut-off price return amounted to 7.79% annual, weighted average return - 7.76% annual

Since February 13, 2012, federal loan bonds (OFZ) as well as sovereign Eurobonds trading to transfer to the main mode on the MICEX-RTS

Analysts recommend holding Rosneft GDRs

For the period January 27 - February 3, international reserves of the Russian Federation increased by USD 3.3 billion (+0.7%) and amounted to USD 507.3 billion, the report of the Bank of Russian runs. From December 30, 2011 to February 3, 2012, they added USD 9.9 billion (+2%)

As of February 1, 2012, broad money in the Russian Federation shrank by RUR 745.6 billion and amounted to RUR 7 trillion 898.5 billion, the Bank of Russia informed. A month before it amounted to RUR 8 trillion 644.1 billion

CMS Company disclosed results of the annual analytical review for the year 2011 and prospects of the Russian M&A market in 2012. The review is based on the survey of 100 respondents from the Russian business environment

Economic Development Minister of Russia Elvira Nabiullina is sure than prices in 2012 may increase even less than they did last year. The ministry is planning to keep inflation at the bottom of the expected range (the official target is 5-6%), at 5-5.5%. The Bank of Russia warns that it will be difficult to repeat the last year's result. Experts are skeptical about inflation and think that by transferring the growth of tariff rates the government only delayed a jump in prices till the second half of the year

Over the week from January 31 to February 6, the growth rate of consumer prices in Russia stayed at the level of the preceding week and was 0.1%. Since the beginning of the year, inflation has come to 0.6%, Rosstat reported on February 8

In January 2012, imports of goods to Russia from far-abroad countries (about 90% of total imports) increased 26.7% in value terms compared to January 2011, according to the estimates of the Federal Customs Service of Russia