GENEVA/KIEV, Sept. 9 – Ukraine has dropped from 72nd to 82nd place in the 2009-2010 Global Competitiveness Report prepared by the World Economic Forum.

According to the report, in the near future Ukraine will face serious challenges in demand for export products, the devaluation of the national currency, and the breakdown of its financial system.

KIEV, Sept. 8 – The Ukrainian stock market has almost reached the bottom of a trough, analysts of Ukrainian investment companies told Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on the situation on the PFTS on Monday.

KIEV, Sept. 8 -- Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Ba3 corporate family rating to Ukrainian steel and mining company Metinvest B.V.

At the same time Moody's withdrew the corporate family rating for Azovstal Iron and Steel Works and assigned an LGD rate for the outstanding bond of Azovstal Capital B.V. of LGD4, 66%.

KIEV, Sept. 9 – Sevastopol-based Avlita stevedoring company says that the construction in Sevastopol of a new bulk cargo terminal, including a coal handling facility, is environmentally-friendly.

KIEV, Sept. 9 – Chances are you had a bad month last month if you had money invested in a Ukrainian mutual fund or other collective investment institution (CII).

KRYNICA, Poland, Sept. 6 - Poland is certain that Azerbaijan, Georgia and Lithuania will make final declarations on joining the Polish-Ukrainian oil pipeline company Sarmatia during a summit of the five nations interested in the project in Georgian capital Tbilisi on Sept. 27, Poland's Economy Minister Piotr Wozniak said Thursday.

KIEV, Sept. 6 – A shadow privatization of a controlling stake in Kyivmiskbud is being prepared by The Tekt Group, which owns a large stake in Kyivmiskbud holding company, Kyivmiskbud said in a statement.

KIEV, Sept. 6 - Oil pumping across the Belarusan border (via the Mozyr-Brody oil pipeline) from Brody to the Pivdenny oil terminal in Odessa amounted to 5.936 million tons from January through August, TNK-BP Ukraine Ltd. told Interfax-Ukraine.

KIEV, Sept. 6 – Spurred by its highest forex purchases so far this year, the gross international reserves of the National Bank of Ukraine grew by 5.8%, or $1.594 billion, in August, to $28.883 billion, the NBU reported.

KIEV, Sept. 7 – The government has withdrawn a 70.7% stake in Kiev-based Indar, an insulin producer, from the list of objects subject to privatization this year.