The Bulgarian Stock Exchange [BUL:BSE], operator of the Sofia bourse, said that its consolidated net profit rose to 2.1 million levs ($1.15 million/1.1 euro) in the first three months of 2022 from 1.9 million levs a year earlier.
In the January-March period, the BSE's consolidated revenue grew to 4.7 million levs from 3.9 million levs a year earlier, the company said in an interim financial statement on Monday.
Expenses increased to 2.2 million levs in the three months through March from 1.8 million levs in the like period of 2021, due to a 34% rise in expenses for hired services, to 1.2 million levs.
Turnover on the markets managed by the BSE jumped by 157% year-on-year in the review period, to 248.7 million levs as the number of transactions increased 75% to 32,677.
In the first quarter, the BSE and the Athens Stock Exchange (ATHEX Group) signed a framework agreement for admission to trading, clearing and settlement of Bulgarian derivatives on the Athens Stock Exchange. The scope of the agreement includes the introduction of futures on selected shares traded on the BSE and futures on the Sofia bourse's main index, the SOFIX.
In February, the BSE introduced trading in cryptocurrency instruments based on Bitcoin and Ethereum prices.
As at 1114 CEST on Tuesday, BSE's shares traded flat at 11.20 levs.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)