Sberbank, GAZ and Canada's Magna International have won the bid for Opel; the government has not commented on the sale, although Putin was seen taking his vintage GAZ-21 for a spin.  Bloomberg reports that the deal may deepen ties between Germany and Russia and could 'fuel suspicion in east Europe'.  Opel may produce up to 180,000 cars a year in Russia.  British concerns are surfacing about Oleg Deripaska's involvement in the deal, given his apparent abandonment of van maker LDV.  A poll of economists has said that the financial situation in Russia remains difficult and growth will only return in 2010 with lower inflation and a stable currency.  State telecoms company Svyazinvest may hold an IPO once it has finished its government-approved reorganization.  Russian Railways plans to buy 54 commuter trains from Canada's Bombardier ...

'We should admit, in all honesty, that direct government support of the stock market achieved nothing', President Medvedev has said in a meeting with politicians from A Just Russia.  Putin's unified property tax, is, however, worth considering.  After three years of growth, Russian bank assets have contracted for the second month in a row, and retail deposits have decreased slightly.  In April inflation dropped to 13.2%.  VTB may buy back shares from minority shareholders who bought them at its 2007 IPO.  Sedmoi Kontinent stocks have soared by about 30%, the most in the history of Moscow trading, when it was reported that French retail giant Carrefour had agreed to buy a controlling interest; the company has reportedly signed a preliminary letter of intent to buy 75%.  Aspersions are being cast upon Gaz's attempts to enter a ...

The budget for the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has been slashed by 25% and, for the first time, foreign companies will be invited to act as sponsors.  Despite suggestions that payouts should be cut, Rosneft will increase its 2008 dividend by 20%.  Deripaska's van maker LDV has, as predicted, filed for bankruptcy.  GAZ car manufacturing plant will suspend production for one week in May.  Russian silver producer Polymetal, in collaboration with a group of Russian investors, has reportedly bought Highland Gold Mining's Maiskoye gold deposit for $105 million.  Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant has announced losses of $105 million last year.  Russia's top cellphone provider MTS and its foreign creditors have agreed on an extension for paying back a $630 million loan.  Russia's land line company Comstar has offered to buy Synterra for $850 million ...

Having initially predicted contraction of 3%, Citigroup Inc. now believes the Russian economy will shrink by at least 6.5% this year.  VEB will provide over 300 billion rubles in loans to Russian enterprise over the course of 2009.  The company will also begin to place eurobonds as of next month and may increase the issue to $10 billion.  A Siberian court has rejected a stay motion by Telenor to block the sale of its stake in Vimpelcom.  Oleg Deripaska's British van maker LDV looks may well go into administration this week, the Times reports.  Gazprombank reported a loss of $1.8 billion in 2008, the first major Russian bank to do so.  Potash producer Uralkali has announced profits of $653 million, with a 172% increase on last year.  Evraz group saw net profit decrease by ...