Bulgarian stock indices close mixed

The blue-chip SOFIX index, which tracks the 15 most liquid shares on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), ended 3.05% lower at 320.33 points, after rising by 0.84% on Monday.

The broader BG40, which includes the 40 most traded shares on the BSE, fell 2.18% to 117.04 points after gaining 0.84% in the previous trading session.

Total turnover on the regulated market fell to 9.5 million levs ($6.3 million/4.9 million) from 135 million levs on Monday, when it was boosted by trading in shares of two local units of Czech energy group CEZ and tobacco group Bulgartabac Holding [BUL:57B].

The sale of the state-owned stakes in the two CEZ units continued on the BSE Tuesday. About 9.0 million levs of the regulated market turnover came from the bourse's privatization segment.

Three of the 12 SOFIX components which were traded on Tuesday advanced, eight fell and one ended flat.

Central Cooperative Bank (CCB) [BUL:4CF] was the top SOFIX gainer, closing 1.01% higher at 0.78 levs as 5,530 shares changed hands.

Bulgartabac Holding was the top blue-chip decliner, closing 13.33% lower at 65 levs in a volume of just 83 shares. The company said earlier that its non-consolidated net profit fell to 11.2 million levs in the first nine months of 2012 from 34.7 million levs a year earlier.

The BG-REIT index, which tracks the performance of real estate investment trusts, ended 0.43% higher at 79.08 points after falling by 0.23% on Monday.

The BG TotalReturn30, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, lost 0.30% to 250.62 points, following a 0.60% decrease in the previous trading session.

The CGIX Corporate Governance index, which includes companies strictly applying corporate governance principles, closed 0.79% higher at 75.72 points. It fell 0.69% on Monday.

(1 euro = 1.95583 Bulgarian levs)