Bulgarian equity indices rise further, Fibank boosts SOFIX

The benchmark index was propelled by a 6.01% jump in First Investment Bank, or Fibank, [BUL:FIB] to 3.88 levs and a 4.14% increase in diversified group Chimimport [BUL:CHIM] to 0.755 levs.

Fibank and Chimimport were also among the top performers in the BGBX40, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, pushing it up by 0.64% to 169.30 points. The biggest gainer in the index, however, was printing and advertising company Billboard [BUL:BBRD], which soared 25.68% to 0.46 levs.

The BGTR30 index, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, grew by 0.74% to 842.34 points on the back of the rises at Fibank and Chimimport. It was additionally helped by a 3.82% climb in farming group Agria Group Holding [BUL:AGH] to 20.40 levs.

A 3.96% leap in organic foods producer and distributor Smart Organic [BUL:SO] to 21.00 levs mostly boosted the BEAMX. The index, which tracks the ten most highly capitalised growth companies, went up 1.03% to 98.66 points.

Finally, the BGREIT index, which tracks seven real estate investment trusts, closed flat at 190.14 points as neither of the two constituents to trade posted any changes from the previous day's close.

Total turnover on the main market of the BSE sank to 935,812 levs ($513,497/478,471 euro) on Friday from 2.37 million levs on Thursday.

Fibank generated the highest turnover of the day, at 245,255 levs, after 63,210 shares changed hands.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)