Daily summary of the Czech economy: stocks, household debt, inflation, Amadeus IT Group, Eagle Nuclear Energy and electromobility (26 February 2026)

292

Overview of the latest economic events in the Czech Republic

The Czech economy was entering the end of February under the sign of stabilising financial markets and slowing inflation. The Prague Stock Exchange gained slightly on Wednesday after Tuesday's decline, with the PX index rising 0.27 percent to 2,681.51 points. The growth was mainly driven by shares of energy companies CEZ and banking groups Erste Group Bank, while only about a third of the traded titles ended trading in positive territory. The Czech koruna was virtually stagnant against the euro, but strengthened slightly against the US dollar. The data confirm continued cautious investor optimism on the domestic market.

At the same time, the banking sector monitors the evolution of household debt. According to data from CRIF - Czech Credit Bureau, the Czech population's debt will increase by 12 percent year-on-year to CZK 4.05 trillion in 2025, the highest growth rate since 2021. The volume of non-performing liabilities increased by 7.5 percent to CZK 35.2 billion. Rising lending activity shows recovering consumer demand, but also increases households' sensitivity to interest rate changes.

Inflation was a positive signal for the economy. According to Eurostat data, annual consumer price inflation in the European Union slowed to 2.0 percent in January from 2.3 percent in December. The Czech Republic achieved harmonised inflation of 1.2 per cent, the fifth lowest in the EU as a whole. Low inflation is supporting stability in real incomes and financial market expectations.

At the same time, the domestic banking market is expected to see economic results Czech Savings Bank, which belongs to the group Erste Group, which investors follow as an important indicator of the profitability of the Czech financial sector.

Foreign investment

The end of February brought significant activity in the area of international acquisitions and capital transactions, which are also influencing investment sentiment in Central Europe. Technology company Amadeus IT Group announced the acquisition of SkyLink, a company focused on integrating conversational artificial intelligence into digital travel services. The transaction confirms the growing importance of AI in global business.

In the financial sector, the banking merger between FirstSun Capital Bancorp a First Foundation Inc. regulatory approval, creating a stronger regional banking group in the United States. Bank consolidation continues, mainly due to pressure on capital efficiency and the digitalisation of services.

A significant transaction in the energy sector was the completion of the merger of Eagle Energy Metals a Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. II, after which the company was founded Eagle Nuclear Energy focused on nuclear fuel sources and the growing demand for electricity associated with the development of AI and data centres.

Activity also continued in the defence industry, where the company Fjord Defence Group ASA made acquisitions of Fjord Defence AS and Scanfiber Composites A/S as part of its expansion strategy in the European defence sector.

In the capital markets, TRG Latin America Acquisitions Corp. announced a $200 million IPO, demonstrating continued investor interest in SPAC-type acquisition companies.

Significant events outside the Czech Republic with global impact

The global economy continues to be affected by the transformation of the automotive industry. While in the Czech Republic, the share of EVs in the new passenger car market remains around five per cent at the start of 2026, across the European Union, EV registrations have increased by around a quarter year-on-year. The difference between the domestic and European trend suggests structural changes in demand and investment opportunities in supply chains.

The energy and defence industries are also among the fastest growing sectors of the global economy. Investments in nuclear energy, defence technologies and digitalisation show the shift of capital towards infrastructure supporting security and technological development. These trends also have an indirect impact on Czech exporters and industrial enterprises linked to European production chains.

gnews.cz - GH

Current exchange rates according to the CNB and Google Rates

tradingeconomics.com