Mercedes-Benz reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter results, lifting its shares on Tuesday despite mounting pressure from Chinese automakers and a weaker outlook for sales and revenue.

The earnings provided a boost for Europe’s auto sector, where manufacturers continue to grapple with tariffs, softer demand and intensifying competition from Chinese rivals. Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have all accelerated restructuring efforts in response.

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Cost Discipline Lifts Quarterly Profit

Mercedes-Benz shares rose as much as 5.9% following the results before trimming gains to trade 3.5% higher by 1118 GMT. The company reaffirmed its profit margin guidance for its core passenger car business after reporting an adjusted return on sales of 4.0% for the second quarter, above market expectations and within its 3% to 5% target range.

“In an environment where some automakers are ringing alarm bells on their competitive positioning, Mercedes delivered a clear and confident message,” Morningstar analyst Rella Suskin said.

Second-quarter operating profit increased 22% to €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion), despite a 3% decline in revenue. Lower administrative and research and development costs, together with strong performances from the financial services and vans divisions, supported earnings, while the results also included a €131 million gain related to the planned sale of leasing subsidiary Athlon.

China Remains The Key Pressure Point

Despite stronger profitability, Mercedes continues to face a challenging market environment. Sales in China fell 30% during the second quarter, prompting the company to abandon earlier expectations for stable car sales and group revenue. It now expects both to decline slightly from a year earlier.

BMW also lowered its outlook in June following a deeper-than-expected slowdown in China, highlighting the pressure facing Germany’s premium carmakers. At the same time, Mercedes said Chinese manufacturers are increasingly expanding into European markets, although Chief Executive Ola Kaellenius said their focus remains on higher-volume segments rather than the premium market.

“But that is not a reason to sit back and be relaxed,” he said.

Manufacturing Shift Continues

Mercedes is also reshaping its manufacturing footprint. The company said its German factories will undergo a more aggressive push toward leaner production, although it declined to provide further details while talks with labour representatives continue. Production is also being expanded in lower-cost Eastern European locations, including Hungary, where the company is increasing capacity at its Kecskemet plant, as well as in Poland.

Chief Financial Officer Harald Wilhelm said the full-year margin for the passenger car division is expected to come in at the lower end of the company’s guidance range, reflecting a higher share of electric vehicle sales in Europe, which remain more expensive to produce and continue to weigh on profitability.

“We must continue to work flat out to reduce costs so that we can remain competitive on the prices of our products,” Kaellenius said.

Deposits and loans in Cyprus recorded strong net increases in June 2026, according to data released on Monday by the Central Bank of Cyprus. Deposit balances expanded at a faster pace than in May, while lending also increased despite a slight slowdown in annual loan growth.

Deposits Rise By €601.2 Million

Total deposits increased by a net €601.2 million in June, compared with a €343.8 million increase in May, bringing the overall deposit balance to €58.7 billion. The annual growth rate eased slightly to 5% from 5.1% a month earlier.

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Deposits held by Cyprus residents rose by €626.2 million. Household deposits increased by €49.7 million, while deposits from non-financial corporations climbed by €480.3 million. Deposits from other domestic sectors rose by a combined €96.2 million.

Loan Balances Also Expand

Total loans increased by €499.4 million in June, up from a net increase of €260.3 million in May. Outstanding loan balances reached €28.6 billion. Annual loan growth slowed to 11.6% from 12.6% in May.

Loans to Cyprus residents rose by €213.7 million, driven by a €131.4 million increase in household lending and a €90.1 million rise in loans to non-financial corporations. Lending to other domestic sectors declined by €7.8 million overall.

Key Takeaways

June’s figures showed stronger monthly growth in both deposits and loans compared with May, while annual deposit growth remained broadly stable and annual loan growth moderated slightly.

Deposits continued to be supported by households and businesses, with non-financial corporations accounting for the largest monthly increase. Lending also expanded across the household and corporate sectors despite the slower annual growth rate.

Electricity storage could play a key role in reducing power costs and improving the use of renewable energy in Cyprus, according to the Electricity Market Association.

In a statement, the association also expressed concern over delays in the issuance of Connection Terms by the Distribution System Operator, warning that bureaucratic procedures are discouraging multimillion-euro investments and ultimately driving up costs for consumers.

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Production Curtailments Are Undermining The System

“One of the most significant problems facing Cyprus’ electricity system today is production curtailment,” the association said.

According to the group, curtailments at large photovoltaic parks reached as high as 66% in April. It added that electricity lost from residential solar systems between January 1 and May 31 could have covered the annual consumption of around 7,500 households.

Curtailments occur when solar generation exceeds electricity demand or the grid’s capacity to absorb additional power, resulting in clean, low-cost energy being wasted.

Why Storage Matters For Consumers

Battery storage allows households and businesses to retain and use a larger share of the electricity they generate, reducing reliance on the grid and improving the return on their solar investment.

Beyond strengthening the electricity system, the association said, wider deployment of storage could also lower energy bills for consumers while helping the grid manage intermittent renewable generation more efficiently.

Regulatory Delays Are Slowing Investment

Despite growing demand for storage, progress in Cyprus remains slow because of lengthy administrative procedures, the association said. It argued that delays in issuing Connection Terms by the Distribution System Operator, which operates under the Cyprus Electricity Authority, raise concerns about the transparency and efficiency of the process.

According to the association, those delays discourage multimillion-euro investments, limit the use of lower-cost renewable electricity and preserve market distortions.

“Ultimately, they pass higher costs on to consumers,” the statement concluded.

Cyprus is moving ahead with plans to establish its first public development finance institution after parliament approved legislation creating the Cyprus Business Development Organisation.

Its primary objective is to improve access to capital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups and self-employed professionals that struggle to secure financing on commercial terms.

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A New Financing Channel For Smaller Businesses

Operations are expected to begin within 12 to 18 months. Once launched, the organisation will become Cyprus’ first dedicated public development finance institution focused on supporting smaller businesses that face barriers to conventional bank lending.

Before that happens, authorities are expected to appoint a seven-member board next month. Members will serve in a transitional capacity for two years while the institution develops its lending programmes, financing tools and operational framework.

Designed To Complement, Not Compete With Banks

Rather than competing with commercial lenders, the institution is intended to address financing gaps left by the private sector, particularly for businesses with limited collateral, short operating histories or higher-risk profiles.

Its mandate includes providing loans, guarantees and other financial instruments where private financing is unavailable or insufficient.

Under the legislation, the organisation will also be authorised to design financing schemes, conduct market studies and identify gaps in Cyprus’ funding ecosystem to help guide future support programmes.

Broader Ambitions Beyond Credit

Beyond improving access to finance, the institution is expected to support entrepreneurship, strengthen competitiveness and encourage investment in innovation, digital transformation and the green transition.

Initial funding will include €60 million in state capital. Additional financing may come from the organisation’s own operations, borrowing from European and international financial institutions and, where approved, state guarantees.

How It Compares With European Models

Although its final role will become clearer once operations begin, the Cyprus Business Development Organisation appears to draw inspiration from established development finance institutions elsewhere in Europe.

At EU level, its closest functional parallels include the European Investment Fund, which uses guarantees, equity investments and risk-sharing mechanisms to improve access to finance for SMEs and innovative firms. It also echoes aspects of the European Investment Bank and its guarantee programmes, which are designed to encourage additional lending by reducing risk for financial institutions.

National comparators include Germany’s KfW and the British Business Bank, both of which use public-backed lending and guarantees to improve financing conditions for smaller companies.

Cyprus’ model appears ambitious in one respect: it aims to combine lending, guarantees, potential equity-style support and market analysis within a single institution. If implemented effectively, that could give the country a more integrated development finance framework than is common in larger economies, where such functions are often spread across multiple agencies.

Legislative Safeguards And Governance Rules

Cyprus’ House of Representatives unanimously approved the legislation establishing the organisation. Lawmakers also adopted an amendment requiring that the criteria for loans and guarantees be set through regulations approved by parliament.

During parliamentary scrutiny, legislators rejected several proposed amendments, including a proposal to cap financing for medium-sized enterprises at 20% of the organisation’s total portfolio. Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry revised the draft legislation to incorporate comments from MPs and stakeholders.

Changes to the final text included removing provisions that would have allowed the organisation to establish companies or acquire additional powers through secondary legislation. Eligibility was also narrowed by excluding small mid-cap companies.

Further governance safeguards were introduced through stricter suitability requirements for board members, enhanced conflict-of-interest provisions and a ban on politically exposed persons and public officials serving on the board.

Additional requirements include consultation with the State Aid Commissioner before financing schemes are introduced, annual reporting to parliament, performance indicators and borrowing limits. Oversight will be shared between the Finance Minister, who will supervise the organisation, and the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC), which will oversee anti-money laundering compliance.

A Key Milestone In Cyprus’ Recovery Plan

Creation of the organisation is also linked to Cyprus’ Recovery and Resilience Plan, making it one of the final milestones required before the country receives the plan’s ninth and final payment.

The legislation has been welcomed by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Keve), which described it as “a substantial reform for the Cypriot economy.”

According to Keve, the new institution could help address longstanding financing gaps, strengthen competitiveness, support entrepreneurship and accelerate innovation alongside Cyprus’ digital and green transition.

The chamber also pointed to the country’s continued reliance on bank lending, saying it has limited businesses’ access to capital for investment, expansion and innovation.

“Businesses’ heavy reliance on the banking system has restricted access to capital for investment, expansion and innovation,”

Keve said.

Keve added that it had contributed throughout the consultation process and would continue working with the Finance Ministry and the organisation’s future leadership to help ensure the institution becomes an effective development tool for the economy.

A Cypriot university team has won the European GEN-E 2026 youth entrepreneurship competition with LIVIA, a smart agriculture platform that combines satellite data, autonomous drones and artificial intelligence to help farmers improve irrigation, detect disease earlier and reduce pesticide use.

Alongside first place, the team received the FedEx Access Award, expanding its access to investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts across Europe.

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Initially developed for vineyards, LIVIA analyses individual plants and turns complex data into practical recommendations. The team is now preparing its first functional product and pilot projects in Cyprus, with plans to expand into additional crops and international markets.

From An Idea To Smart Agriculture

LIVIA began with a simple question: how could satellite data create practical value in everyday life? After exploring applications ranging from meteorology to marine biology, the team identified agriculture as the sector with the greatest potential.

Recognising the limitations of satellite imagery alone, particularly in resolution and update frequency, the founders integrated autonomous drones into the platform to provide more detailed field data.

Designed as a modular system, LIVIA can continuously incorporate new data sources and capabilities. Its initial focus is irrigation management, early disease detection and plant health monitoring, with vineyards serving as the first use case because of their importance to Cyprus and the team’s own experience.

Turning Data Into Decisions

Satellite imagery provides continuous monitoring of crops, while autonomous drones capture high-resolution images whenever greater precision is needed.

Artificial intelligence then combines those datasets with information collected by growers, including IoT sensors and field observations, to generate tailored recommendations for irrigation, disease prevention and resource management.

By analysing each plant individually, the platform enables precision agriculture rather than field-wide recommendations.

Building A Hardware And Software Startup

Developing LIVIA has required balancing advanced software with specialised hardware, including drones, multispectral cameras and charging stations, all while operating with limited resources.

Although the startup participates in the Bank of Cyprus IDEA programme and has secured non-equity funding, integrating multiple data sources into a reliable AI system remains its biggest technical challenge.

The Role Of Junior Achievement

Participation in the JA StartUp Programme helped transform the original concept into a business proposition through mentoring, coaching and pitch preparation.

Support continued after LIVIA won the national competition, with the Junior Achievement Cyprus team helping the founders prepare for the European final in Latvia.

European Recognition

Winning GEN-E 2026 and the FedEx Access Award marked the team’s biggest milestone to date and created new opportunities to connect with investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts across Europe.

The founders are now focused on completing their minimum viable product, launching pilot projects in Cyprus and expanding the platform to new crops and international markets.

Cyprus’ high-end property market remained active in the first half of 2026, although geopolitical uncertainty may have weighed on investment activity during the second quarter.

€286.4 Million Across The 50 Largest Deals

Property transactions worth a combined €286.4 million ranked among Cyprus’ 50 highest-value deals completed between January and June, according to real estate analytics firm Ask Wire.

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Examining the country’s biggest sales across all districts, the report found that the 10 largest transactions alone accounted for €161.7 million, highlighting the concentration of activity at the upper end of the market.

Limassol Extends Its Lead

A €55 million sale involving a building and adjoining fields in Moni was the largest property transaction recorded during the period.

Six of the country’s 10 biggest deals took place in Limassol, with a combined value of €117.2 million. Paphos followed with three transactions worth €35.5 million, while Larnaca recorded one €9 million sale.

Across the broader ranking, Limassol’s 10 largest transactions reached €148.2 million, representing 51.7% of the total value of the top 50 deals. Paphos followed with €68.8 million (24%), while Nicosia recorded €26.7 million. Famagusta narrowly surpassed Larnaca, reaching €21.4 million compared with €21.2 million.

Land Continues To Drive High-Value Deals

According to Ask Wire CEO Pavlos Loizou, land acquisitions continue to dominate Cyprus’ largest property transactions.

“The land market dominates the list of the 10 highest-value property transactions, with seven sales involving fields and plots.”

Many of those sites are expected to be developed into luxury residential and hospitality projects, he added.

Office Demand Remains Strong

Growing demand for office space also reflects the expansion of international companies establishing operations in Cyprus, Loizou said.

“We continue to observe growing demand for office properties, reflecting the expansion of the new ecosystem of international companies that has been establishing itself in Cyprus in recent years.”

Eight of the 10 largest transactions were completed during the first quarter of 2026, with activity slowing in the following three months.

Loizou said the slowdown may reflect investor caution linked to the conflict in the Middle East, which appears to have influenced investment decisions during the second quarter.

Cyprus has unveiled a long-term artificial intelligence strategy aimed at modernising public services while positioning the country as a regional AI hub. The National AI Strategy 2032 outlines plans to strengthen economic competitiveness, improve digital government and build the infrastructure, governance and skills needed to support AI adoption over the next decade.

Rather than treating AI as another digital technology, the government presents it as critical infrastructure supported by investment in regulation, data, computing capacity and talent.

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A Bid To Become A Trusted Eastern Mediterranean AI Hub

By 2032, Cyprus aims to become a trusted AI hub for the Eastern Mediterranean, serving as a bridge between the European Union and neighbouring markets through regulation aligned with European standards.

The strategy cites forecasts projecting the global AI market to grow from $189 billion in 2023 to $4.8 trillion by 2033. For Cyprus, whose economy relies heavily on services, the challenge is to capture the benefits of AI without becoming overly dependent on foreign platforms.

AI Sovereignty And European Compliance

A central pillar of the strategy is what it describes as “AI sovereignty.” Rather than pursuing technological isolation, Cyprus aims to retain control over critical infrastructure, datasets, governance and digital skills while continuing to work with international partners.

According to the roadmap, AI should augment rather than replace people, with high-risk systems remaining subject to human oversight, transparency and safeguards consistent with the EU AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Government As The First Testing Ground

Public administration is expected to lead AI adoption, with the strategy envisioning faster, more personalised and proactive public services. By 2032, the government aims to achieve 75% AI adoption, reduce citizen waiting times by 40%, improve service consistency across ministries and rank among Europe’s top ten countries for digital and AI skills.

Planned initiatives include multilingual AI assistants for citizen services and the Digital Company 2.0 platform, designed to simplify interactions between businesses and the public sector.

Data And Infrastructure

Data governance and computing capacity are identified as key prerequisites for AI adoption. Although Cyprus already has 95.5% fibre coverage and nationwide 5G connectivity, the strategy says fragmented public-sector data and limited AI-ready computing infrastructure remain major challenges.

A government hybrid cloud platform is expected to begin implementation in September 2026, with the first cloud architecture due by December and the migration of three government applications by March 2027.

The infrastructure is intended to support shared AI services, including multilingual communication tools, document processing, identity verification and decision-support systems.

Flagship Projects

The roadmap identifies 16 flagship projects spanning government, healthcare, tourism, public procurement, fraud detection, labour market intelligence, maritime services, financial services, education and entrepreneurship.

Governance And Skills

Implementation would be overseen by a proposed National AI Authority, supported by an interministerial council, specialist committees, a Government Innovation Hub, AI Centres of Excellence and national testing environments.

The roadmap also calls for AI education in schools, specialist training for engineers and civil servants, workforce reskilling programmes and measures to attract international AI talent.

Challenges Ahead

Enterprise AI adoption currently stands at 9.3%, below the EU average of about 20%, while digital skills across the population also lag behind the bloc.

Other challenges include shortages of AI specialists, fragmented public-sector data and limited domestic computing capacity. The strategy draws on Estonia and Finland as examples of successful digital government and public-sector innovation.

A Seven-Year Roadmap

The National AI Strategy 2032 sets out a seven-year programme covering digital infrastructure, regulation, research, workforce development and public services. Its success will depend on effective implementation, institutional coordination and sustained investment.

An islandwide roadshow promoting the proposed Pancyprian Cooperative Bank will begin on July 30, with organisers holding 40 public meetings to explain the terms of a 42 million-share offering.

Organised by the Pancyprian Cooperative Society for Participation and Promotion of Cooperativism in cooperation with the Union of Cyprus Communities, the meetings follow approval of the prospectus by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). Organisers say the sessions are intended to help potential investors understand the offering before deciding whether to participate.

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First Meetings Scheduled

The campaign begins on July 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Astromeritis Cultural Centre.

Further meetings are scheduled for August 4 in Evrychou, August 5 in Marathasa, August 6 at Koula Pilavaki’s café in Kambos and August 27 at the Olympus cinema theatre in Pelendri, with additional events planned across Cyprus.

What Prospective Investors Need

Anyone wishing to purchase shares should bring a bank card, an identity card and a recent utility bill issued by the electricity, telephone or water provider.

Before submitting an application, prospective investors are encouraged to read the approved prospectus and review the terms of the offering.

Share Offering Underway

Launched on July 22, the online platform allows members of the public to purchase shares through the participation company established to support the proposed bank.

Investments start at 100 shares priced at €1 each. Payments of up to €10,000 can be made by bank card through JCC and transferred to a dedicated Bank of Cyprus account. Larger investments require a bank transfer after applicants contact the issuer’s support team. Share subscriptions remain open until November 17.

Regulatory Approval Does Not Endorse The Investment

CySEC’s approval of the prospectus does not constitute approval or endorsement of the share offering itself. Instead, it confirms that the prospectus meets the regulator’s disclosure requirements.

Capital Raise And Licensing Process

Up to 42 million new shares are being offered, with 60% allocated to individual investors and 40% reserved for Cypriot companies. If demand is strong, the board may increase the offering to as many as 100 million shares.

Before operations can begin, the proposed bank must obtain licences from both the Central Bank of Cyprus and the European Central Bank.

Push For Greater Competition

Earlier comments from borrowers’ groups welcomed the proposal, arguing that a new cooperative bank could increase competition in Cyprus’s banking sector, broaden access to financing and encourage more competitive lending terms.

Cyprus’s 2026 personal income tax reform is expected to deliver its biggest financial gains to upper-middle-income and high-income households, according to a new working paper by the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC).

The study, Assessing the Distributional and Fiscal Impacts of Cyprus’s Personal Income Tax Reform, by economists Aris Avgousti, Charalambos Michael and Georgiana Photiadou, examines how the proposed tax changes could affect household incomes, government finances and the broader economy.

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Higher Earners Benefit Most

The paper concludes that the reform will increase average disposable income and reduce personal income tax liabilities, but the gains will be unevenly distributed across income groups.

Although the Central Bank does not set tax policy, the researchers argue that tax reforms can influence monetary policy by changing household spending, saving and borrowing behaviour.

“By reallocating disposable income across households with different marginal propensities to consume, different savings behaviour and different exposure to interest rate movements, the reform may influence the strength and composition of monetary policy transmission,”

the paper said.

How The Reform Was Assessed

The analysis used EUROMOD tax-benefit microsimulations alongside confidential household data from the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and the Household Budget Survey.

It assessed changes to income tax brackets, a new income-dependent allowance for dependent children and university students, and an income-dependent allowance for mortgage interest or rental expenses linked to primary residences. A proposed tax incentive for green capital expenditure was excluded because of data limitations.

Limited Relief For Lower-Income Households

Many lower-income households are expected to see little or no direct benefit because their taxable income was already below the previous threshold.

In 2022, 43% of taxpayers reported taxable income below the pre-reform threshold of €19,500. Households in the lowest income decile are projected to gain an average of just €5 per year, compared with €1,057 for those in the highest decile.

The largest gains are concentrated among upper-middle-income and high-income households, while middle-income groups receive more modest benefits. As a share of disposable income, gains peak at 2.9% in the ninth income decile before easing to 2% in the highest decile.

Fiscal Cost And Trade-Offs

The researchers estimate the reform will reduce government revenue by around €240 million annually, broadly in line with official projections, while reducing the number of taxpayers with positive personal income tax liabilities by around 22%.

Although the paper says the fiscal cost appears manageable given Cyprus’s budget position, it argues that alternative approaches could have reduced the concentration of benefits among higher-income households while preserving more fiscal space for social cohesion measures and productivity-enhancing investment.

Modest Economic Impact

The reform is expected to support private consumption and modestly increase consumption tax revenues, producing a limited boost to economic growth. However, the impact is likely to be constrained because a significant share of additional spending will be absorbed by imports rather than domestic production.

The paper also notes that Cyprus’s fiscal surpluses provide an opportunity to invest in productivity, public services and the green and digital transition.

Relief Comes With Distributional Trade-Offs

The authors conclude that while the reform increases disposable income and lowers personal income tax liabilities, it does little to improve income distribution.

“Achieving meaningful distributional improvements would likely require strengthening the social safety net and deploying more targeted fiscal support,”

the researchers said.

They add that higher disposable incomes should leave households better off overall, while changes in income distribution could also affect borrowing, housing demand and the transmission of monetary policy.

Bank of Cyprus has endorsed a significant expansion in digital investing, as Wealthyhood x BoC launches trading in Cypriot and Greek stocks for retail investors across Cyprus, Greece and Europe.

A Wider Gateway To Local Equities

Through a single mobile application, users can now invest in companies listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange and Euronext Athens, with access starting from as little as €1. The platform says it is offering some of the lowest fees in the market, while making blue-chip Cypriot and Greek companies more accessible to everyday investors.

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The move is designed to lower a long-standing barrier to participation in local capital markets. Historically, retail investors have faced high minimum ticket sizes, complex trading interfaces and substantial brokerage, clearing and exchange fees. Wealthyhood x BoC says it is addressing those constraints through fractional investing and market-leading trade execution.

A Strategic Partnership Moves Forward

The launch marks another step in the growing partnership between the Bank of Cyprus and Wealthyhood, with the local lender integrating access to both the Cyprus Stock Exchange and the Athens market into the investment platform.

For the Bank of Cyprus, the expansion is part of a broader push to improve digital investment access for clients and to widen the range of instruments available through modern wealth-management channels. The platform is positioned not only as a convenience tool, but as an on-ramp to investing for a younger and more digitally native audience.

Lowering The Cost Of Market Access

Wealthyhood co-founder and chief executive Alexandros Christodoulakis said the launch is intended to remove what he described as artificial barriers between ordinary investors and the domestic economy.

“For too long, investing in leading Cypriot and Greek companies has felt unnecessarily expensive and beyond the reach of a younger generation of investors,” Christodoulakis said. “High minimum investment limits and burdensome exchange fees created an artificial barrier between everyday people and our domestic economy.”

He said the new offering “democratises investing” by bringing the Cyprus Stock Exchange and Euronext Athens onto the platform on equal terms. According to Christodoulakis, fractional shares from €1 and the absorption of stock exchange fees through Smart Execution are designed to make local market investing simpler, cheaper and more intuitive.

“Our users have been asking for it, and we were determined to deliver,” he added.

Designed For Broader Portfolio Building

Wealthyhood co-founder and chief technology officer Konstantinos Faliagkas said the new feature expands portfolio construction options for users in Greece and Cyprus.

“We are very excited that, through the Wealthyhood x BoC app, users can now add Cypriot and Greek stocks to their portfolios with the lowest fees in the market and the option of fractional investing,” Faliagkas said.

The platform also offers curated investment collections focused on Cypriot and Greek companies, alongside thematic portfolios spanning areas such as high-dividend equities, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. The company says this helps investors identify opportunities more easily while building diversified portfolios aligned with their interests and risk preferences.

Bank Of Cyprus Sees A Meaningful Step Forward

Christos M. Ioannou, head of Private & Affluent Banking at the Bank of Cyprus, described the launch as an important milestone in the collaboration between the two organisations.

“The launch of trading in Greek and Cypriot equities through the Wealthyhood x BoC platform, with the addition of the Athens Exchange and Cyprus Stock Exchange markets, marks a vital expansion in the strategic partnership between the Bank of Cyprus and Wealthyhood,” Ioannou said.

He added that the bank expects strong interest from clients seeking broader access to major exchanges through a digital investment platform.

“We are confident that the Bank’s clients, as well as any client, will welcome this innovative offering, which provides access to the Athens Exchange and Cyprus Stock Exchange, among other major exchanges, through a digital investment platform, further expanding their investment choices,” he said.

Technology, Transparency And Scale

The platform says investors in Greece and Cyprus can now buy fractional holdings in local shares from €1, eliminating the need to commit hundreds of euros to purchase higher-priced stocks.

It also highlights its Smart Execution feature, which processes orders at 3:00 p.m. every weekday and absorbs 100 per cent of the underlying stock exchange costs. Wealthyhood x BoC says this allows users to eliminate stock exchange clearing fees while benefiting from a more transparent pricing structure.

In addition to local shares, users can access more than 5,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds, supported by automated investment tools, financial education and institutional-grade security. Wealthyhood describes the application as a wealth-building platform aimed at helping younger investors learn, save, invest and build wealth regardless of experience or starting capital.

Early Traction In Greece And Cyprus

Operating across the United Kingdom and Europe, Wealthyhood says the platform has already attracted more than 30,000 users in Greece and Cyprus within months of launch. That early traction suggests demand for low-cost, mobile-first investing is extending well beyond the largest international markets.

For Bank of Cyprus, the partnership offers a way to deepen customer engagement through digital wealth services. For Wealthyhood, it provides credibility and distribution in two markets where retail participation has traditionally lagged behind demand.

As local investors increasingly seek simpler, cheaper and more flexible access to markets, the Wealthyhood x BoC model may prove to be more than a product launch. It could be a sign of how regional investing habits are beginning to change.