Bulgarian stock indices end mixed, SOFIX extends gain

March 22 (SeeNews) - Two of the four indices of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) closed higher on Wednesday, including the benchmark SOFIX index which added 0.81% to 607.58 points amid a plunge in total turnover.

Rising for the second consecutive day, the SOFIX was chiefly boosted by a 4.29% climb in Eurohold Bulgaria [BUL:EUBG] to 1.46 levs, in a trading volume of 38,246 shares.

Drug maker Sopharma [BUL:SFA] also contributed to the blue-chip index's gain. Sopharma closed 2.97% higher at 5.20 levs. The main SOFIX decliner was Central Cooperative Bank [BUL:CCB], sliding 5.26% to 1.44 levs with 12,000 shares traded.

The broader BGBX40 index, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, also rose, by 0.16% to 139.54 points, on the back of Eurohold Bulgaria as well as a 3.36% advance in Zarneni Hrani Bulgaria [BUL:ZHBG] to 0.154 levs. Telelink Business Services Group [BUL:TBS] was also a gainer, up 3.00% to 10.30 levs.

Meanwhile, BGBX40 index constituent Stara Planina Hold [BUL:SPH] erased 5.00% to 9.50 levs, even though earlier in the day it forecast a 20% growth in consolidated first-quarter sales.

The BGTR30, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, fell 0.15% to 720.85 points, affected by the loss at Stara Planina Hold, along with a 2.04% decline in M+S Hydraulic [BUL:MSH] to 9.60 levs.

Lastly, the BGREIT index, which tracks seven real estate investment trusts, also finished in green territory, retreating 0.18% to 187.04 points. The decline was due to a 0.93% dip in Bulgarian Real Estate Fund REIT [BUL:BREF] to 2.14 levs.

Total turnover on the main market of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange slumped to 316,930 levs ($174,847/162,043 euro) on Wednesday from 806,809 levs on Tuesday.

The most traded stock was diversified group Synthetica [BUL:SYN], which generated 100,000 levs from 2,000 shares traded. The stock ended the session 0.99% lower at 50.00 levs.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)