(Bloomberg) -- Poland is enjoying increased interest from global fixed income investors as economic headwinds — fueled by weak demand from the euro region — are seen as temporary, according to Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski.
“The interest in Poland is high or maybe even very high,” Domanski told Bloomberg in Washington, where he’s been meeting international investors and attending International Monetary Fund and World Bank events.
The minister’s positive assessment contrasts with the results of Poland’s zloty-denominated bond sale this week, where the government sold less than its usual maximum offered amount. Demand at the auction was the smallest since June amid weaker sentiment for emerging-market assets.
Anemic growth in the euro region, Poland’s biggest export market, is causing a “serious headache,” but this situation shouldn’t last long as European Central Bank interest-rate cuts revive the continent’s economy, Domanski said. Furthermore, Polish retail sales have undershot analyst expectations, also raising questions over tepid domestic demand.
“We see increased interest from both portfolio investors buying Polish bonds and those who are interested in stocks,” Domanski said. “We have the fastest growing economy among big European Union nations and our outlook for next year is also strong.”
During his stay in the US capital, Domanski and his crew have attended gatherings with investors organized by Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., among others.
Budget Blues
Poland plans to sell as much as €15 billion ($16.2 billion) of foreign-currency bonds next year, roughly matching this year’s issuance, he said. Last month, the sovereign sold €3 billion in 7-year and 15-year notes in a bid to plug its growing budget deficit, which has jumped in past year in part due to increased military spending amid war in neighboring Ukraine.
This year’s budget has been hurt by lower than expected value-added tax revenues amid slower than earlier envisaged price growth, according to the minister. Average annual inflation is now seen at 3.7% this year, compared with 6.6% seen at the start of 2024, he said. The government announced on Friday that it would revise this year’s fiscal plan.
Domanski downplayed the economic impact of the zloty’s recent decline. The Polish currency has lost 2.3% against the euro since a late September peak, trading at the weakest level in four months this week.
“Polish exporters remain in a rather difficult situation due to euro zone headwinds,” he said. “I hope that ECB cuts will improve the situation in 2025 and that export profitability will also increase.”
--With assistance from Konrad Krasuski.
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