Today in Russian Business – Sept 12, 2008

As the MICEX fell for the third day in a row, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that foreign capital inflows could fall by 45% this year, but that he does not believe the drop is related to the Georgian war. Alexei Kudrin says Russia is considering using money from its national wealth fund to support its markets, and President Medvedev has publicly backed an inflow of additional funds. Standard and Poor’s advises against this. Deutsche Bank is reportedly eyeing retail banking acquisitions in Russia. Just days after the raid of News Outdoor’s offices in Russia, the Murdoch-owned advertising arm appears to be up for sale. Russia and Ukraine are trying to increase next year’s agricultural output. A Moscow Times columnist suggests that investors are troubled by Russia’s recent Communist nostalgia.