Late-2000s financial crisis

 Agency chose not to revise Greece’s credit rating, retaining the country’s ‘selective default’ status

By Sotiris Nikas

Moody’s rating agency may not have changed its rating for Greece on Friday, but the markets did not appear inclined to wait for its announcement to display their own confidence in the country’s economy.

Greek retail sales by volume fell 1.9 percent in January from the same month last year, statistics service ELSTAT said on Friday.

The reading had dropped at an annual pace of 6.1 percent in December.

 Moody’s is expected to upgrade Greece’s credit rating on Friday

By Sotiris Nikas

Athens is set to officially announce its return to the money markets with the issuance of a five-year bond for an estimated 2-3 billion euros. Sources also suggest that the announcement could come after a likely credit rating upgrade by Moody’s over the course of Friday.

Cypriot lawmakers must make it easier for banks to seize property when borrowers default to tackle the issue of bad loans, the country’s most pressing issue, central bank governor Panicos Demetriades said.

Nikos Chrysoloras & Rebecca Christie

The Greek government, approaching the end of a second international bailout that has kept it afloat since 2010, plans a return to markets by selling 2 billion euros ($2.8 billion) of bonds, three officials said.

Greek 10-year bond yields fell to new four-year lows on Wednesday, with investor appetite increasing after its international lenders agreed to release the next tranche of its bailout programme.

Additional bailout funding on the way to Greece

By Nikos Chrysoloras

The Greek government, approaching the end of a second international bailout that has kept it afloat since 2010, plans a return to markets by selling 2 billion euros of bonds, three officials said.

By Corina Ruhe, Nikos Chrysoloras & Rebecca Christie

Euro area finance chiefs will decide tomorrow on the amount and pace of Greece’s next aid payments, Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said.

 International investors continue to underestimate political risk, but this has not diminished at all

By Dimitris Kontogiannis