By John Helmer in Moscow Archangel Diamond Corporation (ADC) has re-emerged from a bankruptcy proceeding initiated earlier this year by De Beers, to launch new charges in the Colorado state court against Russian oil company LUKoil, and well-known Russian oligarchs, Vagit Alekperov (lead bearer) and Alisher Usmanov (2nd bearer). ADC is now being directed by […]

by John Helmer - Monday, December 14th, 2009
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Step-1, believe me, I have no money Step-2, you drop your money in my hand Step-3, I wave goodbye and sail on my way By John Helmer in Moscow Far Eastern Shipping Company (Fesco), the listed Russian dry-cargo fleet operator controlled by Sergei Generalov (left image), says it has run into a debt refinancing problem […]

by John Helmer - Friday, December 11th, 2009
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by John Helmer - Thursday, December 10th, 2009
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Relayed by John Helmer in Moscow Question for Toby: has the Hong Kong Stock Exchange rejected the share listing application by United Company Rusal? Toby’s answer: Affirmative grunt. For at least two months the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and its listing division, and in parallel the state regulator, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) have […]

by John Helmer - Monday, December 7th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow In signals issued just ahead of today’s scheduled meeting of the Hong Kong Exchange Listing Committee, the committee announced a further postponement of its ruling on the Rusal application until December 7. The exchange has issued no public explanation. Media reports claim the reason is that the 28-member committee lacked […]

by John Helmer - Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow A public statement by Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin, which he then corrected a few hours later, confirms what Russia’s rival oligarch groups, including those seeking Rusal’s bankruptcy, have believed for many weeks. Oleg Deripaska, controlling shareholder of United Company Rusal, has given up control of his shares to Russian […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
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Interview with Maxim Shkadov by Vladimir Kulakov and John Helmer The 36-year old Kristall Production Corporation is one of the world’s leading producers of polished diamonds, and Russia’s biggest. It remains 100% state owned under the supervision of the federal Ministry of Finance, and is headquartered at Smolensk, where it cuts and polishes diamonds, before […]

by John Helmer - Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Sad to say, there is no magic in capitalism. If there were, it would have been entertaining to watch how Polyus Gold, Russia’s leading goldminer, suddenly snapped a losing streak on Friday, and rocketed upward with a 4% share price gain in Moscow (MICEX rouble exchange), 7% on the London […]

by John Helmer - Monday, November 23rd, 2009
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November 21, 1695 — Henry Purcell, English composer, died, aged 35   See’st thou not how stiff, and wondrous old Far unfit to bear the bitter cold, I can scarcely move or draw my breath, Let me, let me, freeze again to death. — Song of Cold Genius, King Arthur

by John Helmer - Saturday, November 21st, 2009
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By John Helmer in Moscow Suleiman Kerimov is selling Polyus Gold shares in a bid to raise cash. The market signal triggered a price decline for the Moscow and London-listed share (PGML:LN) of 5% this week through Thursday. A Moscow brokerage is predicting that the selloff may cut the price by 10%. The chain of […]

by John Helmer - Friday, November 20th, 2009
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