March 6 (SeeNews) - The Bulgarian Stock Exchange [BUL:BSE], operator of the Sofia bourse, said its consolidated net profit jumped to 12.7 million levs ($7 million/6.5 million euro) in 2023 from 4.5 million levs a year earlier.
BSE's total operating revenue grew to 26.9 million levs last year from 18.3 million levs in 2022 on the back of higher interest income, the company said in a financial statement last week.
At the same time, the company's operating expenses declined to 12.8 million levs in the review period from 13.2 million levs the prior year.
This was mainly due to other operational expenses, which fell to 369,000 levs from 3.2 million levs as a result of provisions for expected impairments of receivables accrued in 2022, amounting to some 3 million levs.
Turnover on the four market segments managed by the BSE dropped by 24% year-on-year to 237.8 million levs in the last quarter of 2023, whereas the number of transactions went down 12% to 16,428. Turnover on the main BSE market slid 17% in annual terms, while the alternative market's turnover was 40% lower.
The number of financial instruments issued on the BSE totalled 779 at the end of 2023 against 775 the previous year, with the steepest increase booked on the BSE bonds segment.
As of 1420 CET on Wednesday, shares in the Bulgarian Stock Exchange traded flat at 15.75 levs on the Sofia bourse, bourse data show.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)