EPKA announced that May 2026 pensions would be paid earlier than originally planned. Pensioners of the Funds (OAEE, OGA, EBRD) and beneficiaries of principal and auxiliary pensions in the private sector will be paid on Friday, April 24, while pensioners of the Funds (IKA-ETAM, banks, PPC, OTE) and the State on Monday, April 27. The amounts will be credited to the accounts from the afternoon of the previous day, speeding up the initial proposal providing for payments on 27 and 29 April.

European defence shares recorded a sharp drop of up to 7%, following statements by Kirillo Budanov, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volontimir Zelenski, that a peace agreement with Russia can be reached soon. Shares such as Rheinmetall, Hensoldt and Leonardo, which had been ejected 500% since February 2022, retreated significantly. Instead, construction companies and cement companies were strengthened over 5% due to expectations of post-war reconstruction. Analysts point out that the market questions whether governments will continue high defence spending, even though participants remain cautious about the outcome of the talks.