Today in Russian Business – March 12, 2012

The Economic Development Ministry is to require state companies to surrender 25% of their profits in shareholder dividends.  Vladimir Putin has called for Russia’s largest state-run companies to provide company information by the end of the week.  Putin’s evaluation of the cost of his election promises ‘appeared to roughly agree with calculations by Sberbank analysts’ that put the necessary funding, to last until the end of his term, at around $51 billion.  Russian companies may be forced out of Libya, although there is some indication that the Libyan government may honour contracts signed with Moscow under Moammar Gadhafi.  The Russian e-book market is currently worth $2.2 million.  Russia’s bourses are catching up to other markets, at least partly after a low turnout at Moscow’s Saturday opposition rally.  Russian warehouse developer Raven Russia more than doubled its full year net profit in 2011.  Food retailer Magnit reported a year-on-year February sale increase of 37.5%.  Domodedovo Airport has secured a $216 million, five-year loan for general corporate purposes.  Russia has the world’s second-highest number of the world’s richest people in it this year.