NZhK came under the control of Buket in April 2003, when the group acquired 82% of the plant's shares from companies controlled by local businessman Igor Kuznetsov. The shares were distributed among five Saratov companies (Prodinvest - 16.9%, Elevatorholding - 14.5%, Yantarnoye - 19.8%, Zhirovoy Kombinat - 16.4% and Povolzhskaya Investment Company - 15.3%) that were part of Buket.

This year, professional investors – investment and hedge funds, investment banks with divisions for trading in raw materials – actively used the situation that had developed on the global oil market. The growth in demand for raw materials from developing countries and the global economy emerging from stagnation, coupled with the problems of increasing its production, brought prices to a qualitatively new level.

The main macroeconomic indices of developed countries, compiled on the basis of surveys of purchasing managers, showed lower results in August than expected. A slowdown in growth was recorded in Japan, England, the United States and the eurozone. The decline is not critical - the growth rates only decreased compared to previous months. Thus, the index of the American Institute of Supply Management US ISM fell to 59 against 62 in July - the lowest figure over the past year.

The folk crafts tour will start in Moscow with the vernissage of the “Center of Russian Crafts”, which opened on September 1 in Izmailovo. And the main attractions of the tour will be the cities where souvenir factories are located: Gus-Khrustalny (glass), Semenov (Khokhloma), Mstera (paint and varnish miniatures), Skopin (ceramics). A network of hotels is planned to be created here.

“We chose Veropharm because the company has modern production facilities and experience in promoting branded drugs,” LGLS CEO Yang Hung Jun said yesterday. Under a licensing agreement with LGLS, Veropharm will produce the innovative antibiotic Factive (active ingredient gemifloxacin). This drug against bronchitis and pneumonia will be available in packages of five and seven tablets. The retail price will be $15 and $22, respectively.

The government did not risk arguing with the Constitutional Court. The White House withdrew its petition to the Constitutional Court, in which it demanded an explanation of the April decision of the judges. It prohibits the deduction of VAT paid using borrowed funds. In the petition signed by Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, officials asked to clarify the definition in such a way that the scope of its application would be limited to two payment schemes for minimizing VAT.

Currency From July 30 to September 2, the dollar exchange rate rose by 14 kopecks, or 0.5%. Now $1 is worth 29.23 rubles/$. The euro exchange rate rose by 44 kopecks to 35.59 rubles/euro. So funds invested in euros have risen in price by 1.3%. Stock The RTS index has grown by a little over 11% in a month to 587, i.e. by 60 points. Shares of almost all companies on the MICEX have grown in price. But shares of regional energy companies are in the lead.

Restrictions on international trade in black caviar have been in effect since 1998. At that time, the UN Convention on the Protection of Wildlife (CITES) introduced an international quota system for sturgeon catches and exports of black caviar in connection with a sharp increase in poaching in the Caspian Sea, where 90% of this product is harvested. Legal supplies of black caviar to the world market subsequently decreased, and Russia's share in them fell sharply.

MOSCOW Gold and foreign exchange reserves increased by $500 million VEDOMOSTI – Russia’s gold and foreign exchange reserves increased by $500 million, or 0.6%, from $88.3 billion to $88.8 billion from August 20 to August 27, 2004. Compared with January 1, 2004, when Russia’s gold and foreign exchange reserves amounted to $76.9 billion, this figure increased by 15.5%.

Gianfranco Lanci, who has been heading Acer's business in the U.S. and Europe, will take over from former president J. Wang on January 1. At the same time, Stan Shih, who founded the company in 1976 and currently serves as chairman of the board, will leave Acer. Wang will then combine the positions of CEO and chairman of the board. The personnel changes at Acer are taking place against the backdrop of a general reform of the company.

Responsibility Baskets On the articles: “In the Same Boat” (No. 155 of 30.08.2004, p. A4), “Where to Start” (No. 156 of 31.08.2004, p. A4) I am writing in support of the speech by the President of the RSPP A. Volsky and the initiatives of the union in the area of ​​increasing and developing the social responsibility of Russian business. I would just like to briefly supplement and develop it.

Russians have less than a month left to choose who to trust with investing the funded portion of their pension for the coming year. Now the options for future pensioners have expanded: from July 1, you can give your money not only to a private or state management company, but also to a non-state pension fund (NPF). However, the new option is completely disadvantageous. The choice has become greater The pension reform carried out since 2002 has made many Russians investors.

In the article “Rating Confusion” (No. 157 of 01.09.2004, p. B1, “Vector” section) one should read: “Moody’s assigned Transneft an issuer rating of Ba1, one notch below investment grade.”

Decades ago, Gordon Moore, then chairman of Intel, posited that the transistor density of commercial chips doubled every 18 to 24 months. Moore's Law has held true ever since, and the current state-of-the-art technology is 90 nm. By shrinking the size to 65 nm, Intel hopes to significantly increase the speed and capacity of its memory chips. The new process technology is expected to be launched into production next year.

Back in April 2002, LUKOIL announced a restructuring program, one of the key points of which was the sale of non-core assets, including the LUKOIL-Bureniye holding. Several companies from Canada and the United States showed interest in the LUKOIL subsidiary, but in the end there were two contenders: Shlumberger and Nabors Industries Inc. However, this spring it became known that LUKOIL did not agree on a price with either of them.