The Prague Stock Exchange weakened yesterday, with the PX index falling by 0.84 percent. The investment group Penta is acquiring Union, a Slovak competitor in the health insurance sector, through its subsidiary Dôvera, which could reduce the number of players in the local health insurance market from three to two. The Chamber of Deputies supported the government's proposal in the first reading, which abolishes the annual increase in toll fees for highways. AŽD Praha has begun testing an experimental battery-powered tram-train on its railway line in Jičín region.
The Prague Stock Exchange weakened yesterday. The PX index fell by 0.84 percent to 2595.03 points. The decline was mainly due to shares of Erste Bank and Moneta Money Bank, as well as securities of the insurance company VIG. Among smaller companies, tobacco company Philip Morris and arms manufacturer Colt CZ performed better.
The investment group Penta is acquiring Union, a competitor in the health insurance sector, through its Slovak subsidiary Dôvera. The acquisition comes at a time when Union's results are significantly weakening. If approved by regulators, the Slovak health insurance market will be reduced from three players to two. Critics warn of a weakening competitive environment and a deterioration in the position of patients and hospitals during price negotiations for healthcare services.
The Chamber of Deputies supported the government's amendment in the first round, which abolishes the annual increase in toll fees for highways. The basic annual vignette for passenger cars should therefore remain at this year's price of 2570 crowns in the coming years. The opposition strongly criticizes the government's proposal and describes the halt to indexation as a populist move that creates a permanent hole in the state budget.
The manufacturer of railway signaling technology, AŽD Praha, has begun testing an experimental battery-powered tram-train on its Kopidlnka railway line in the Jičín region. During the trial period, which will last until the end of 2027 at the latest, the tram-train will operate without passengers. The project is part of a broader effort to find alternatives to diesel trains on non-electrified lines, where battery traction could reduce operating costs and emissions.