Budapest, 26 February 2026 – Over the past year, we have achieved tangible results in terms of stability and security, reflected in record-high reserves, a stronger forint and lower inflation, Mihály Varga stated at the Best of BSE Award Gala. The MNB Governor emphasised that the Budapest Stock Exchange had set new records last year, with the entire Hungarian economy – including companies and households – benefiting from its robust performance.
As Varga pointed out, the stabilisation of the forint exchange rate, the decline in inflation and the high level of domestic reserves all indicated that stability in the Hungarian market had strengthened over the past year, in line with the Bank’s objectives. The EUR/HUF exchange rate had appreciated from around HUF 410 at the end of 2024 to approximately HUF 375, while inflation had fallen to 2.1 per cent by January. At the same time, Hungary’s foreign exchange reserves had reached EUR 56.8 billion. He noted that this stability was also reflected in the fact that the BSE had delivered record-setting performance last year. Among these achievements, it was particularly noteworthy that average daily trading turnover on the Hungarian stock exchange had increased by 50 per cent, while stock market indices had advanced to historic highs. As the MNB Governor pointed out, the Budapest Stock Exchange played an increasingly significant role underpinning the Hungarian economy, while supporting listed companies and those preparing for listing with ever higher professional standards. According to Varga, a well-functioning domestic stock exchange played a major role in ensuring that savings could help strengthen the Hungarian economy. Over the past ten years, households’ holdings of domestic equities had increased fivefold. According to MNB data, the financial wealth of Hungarian households reached a new record in the final quarter of 2025, exceeding HUF 118,000 billion. The Governor highlighted that the existing incentives and the wide range of products available on the Budapest Stock Exchange provided the necessary conditions for households to invest an increasing share of their savings in listed shares, thereby enabling companies to access more funding and families to achieve growing savings.
At the event, 22 awards were presented across 18 categories to key players in the Hungarian capital market who delivered outstanding performance over the past year.