Armenia’s risk premium increased amid events in the Middle East – Galstyan

YEREVAN, March 17. /ARKA/. The risk premium in Armenia has increased slightly due to events in the Middle East, although not as much as in other countries in the region and beyond, stated Martin Galstyan, head of the Central Bank of Armenia.

Over the past year, Armenia’s risk premium has declined significantly – by approximately 100 basis points.

“In Armenia, the risk premium increased by only 20 basis points,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

This, according to Galstyan, gives the regulator reason to believe that investor confidence in its macroeconomic policy is quite high.

“Naturally, everything is developing very dynamically; changes occur every day, every hour, so we are monitoring all these developments very closely,” he added. In January of this year, Armenian Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan announced a reduction in the risk premium on Armenian Eurobonds, calling it historically low. He stated that while in March 2025, Eurobonds issued at a rate of 7.1% had a risk premium of 2.86%, or 286 bps, in January 2026, this figure was 196 bps, or 1.96%.

spot_img

POPULAR

Acba Bank and Bank of New York Mellon launch partnership

Armenian Acba Bank is expanding its international partner network by partnering with one of the world's most respected financial institutions, The Bank of New York Mellon, the bank's press service reported.

Unibank will provide refunds to bona fide business clients

In light of the decision of the Central Bank of the Republic of Armenia dated April 2, 2026, to reduce risk coefficients for applications from micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises when calculating credit risk, Unibank is reviewing and improving its lending terms.

Armenian banks’ loan portfolio in Q1 amounted to AMD 8.01 trillion, an increase of over 22%

As of March 31, 2026, the total loan portfolio of Armenian banks stood at AMD 8.01 trillion, marking a 22.63% rise compared to March 31, 2025, and a 4.05% increase from December 31, 2025.

Assets of Armenian banks increased by 16.67% to 13.15 trillion drams as of the end of Q1 2026

Total assets of Armenian banks as of March 31, 2026, amounted to 13.1 trillion drams, an increase of 16.67% compared to March 31, 2025.

500-Dram Coins Remain in Circulation in Armenia Following Removal of Old Banknotes

500-Dram coins remain in circulation in Armenia; the decision to withdraw old-generation banknotes from circulation does not apply to them, according to a statement from the Central Bank's press service.

LATEST NEWS

spot_imgspot_imgspot_img