May 28 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian drug trader Sopharma Trading [BUL:SO5] said on Thursday that its consolidated net profit rose to 4.1 million levs ($2.3 million/2.2 million euro) in the first quarter from 2.3 million levs in the same period of last year, driven by a rise in revenue.
Sopharma Trading's operating revenue increased to 292.2 million levs in the first three months of 2020 from 237.5 million levs in the comparable period of last year, on the back of higher sales of goods, the company said in an interim financial statement.
Operating expenses grew to 287.5 million levs in the first quarter of the year from 234.8 million levs in the like period of 2019, with the cost of goods rising to 264.0 million levs from 213.7 million levs in the first quarter of 2019.
The company's assets increased to 518.2 million levs at the end of March from 483.5 million levs a year earlier.
Sopharma Trading held a share of 21.14% of the pharmaceuticals market in Bulgaria in January-March. The company claimed a 29.33% market share on the hospital segment, and 18.86% on the pharmacy segment.
Sopharma Trading's biggest shareholder at the end of March was Bulgarian drug maker Sopharma [BUL:3JR], with 74.23% interest.
As at 14:55 CET on Thursday, Sopharma Trading shares traded 1.90% higher at 5.35 levs on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)