Report Of Mortgage Rescue Plan Revives Old Fears In Hungary

  • 18 Jul 2013 9:00 AM
Report Of Mortgage Rescue Plan Revives Old Fears In Hungary
OTP shares got hammered on Wednesday, falling 3.6%, on news that the government intends to provide further relief to foreign-currency mortgage debtors. Deputy prime minister Tibor Navracsics said in a Tuesday night interview that the government was examining the legal possibilities for amending such mortgage contracts.

Although no details have emerged, analysts say the bank sector could lose several hundred billion forints if such a regulation were enacted with retroactive force.

As OTP shares tumbled, the forint also weakened slightly, but later recovered.

Analysts told Napi Gazdaság that the chances of the government launching a broad scheme similar to the early repayment of foreign-currency mortgage debt grow higher as elections draw nearer.

Yesterday’s market jitters were not a surprise, given the unfavourable experiences of the last two years, observed Buda-Cash trader Zoltán Réczey.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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