Sofia bourse indices close mixed, Fibank paces blue-chip gainers

September 25 (SeeNews) - Two of the five main indices of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) advanced on Monday, with the blue-chip SOFIX adding 0.09% to 741.81 points, bourse data showed.

An increase of 2.48% in First Investment Bank, or Fibank, [BUL:FIB] to 2.48 levs boosted the benchmark index. SOFIX also gained ground on the back of a 1.86% rise in IoT products maker Shelly Group [BUL:SLYG] to 43.70 levs.

Fibank and Shelly Group also spurred on the broader BGBX40, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse. The index closed 0.07% higher at 156.49 points, further lifted by steel radiator manufacturer Korado Bulgaria [BUL:KBG], which climbed by 1.73% to 4.70 levs.

In contrast, the BGTR30 index, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, shed 0.23% to 779.70 points. It was set back by a 2.63% tumble at hydraulic equipment manufacturer M+S Hydraulic [BUL:MSH] to 11.10 levs, as well as a 2.37% loss in farming group Agria Group Holding [BUL:AGH] to 20.60 levs.

The BGREIT, which tracks seven real estate investment trusts, slipped by 0.25% to 190.71 points. Its performance was pressed by Bulgarian Real Estate Fund REIT [BUL:BREF], which went down 0.88% to 2.26 levs, and real estate investment trust Sopharma Buildings REIT [BUL:SFB], which dipped by 0.78% to 25.40 levs.

The BEAMX index, which tracks the ten most highly capitalised growth companies, edged down 0.06% to 99.86 points. It was held back by a 3.33% drop in MFG Invest [BUL:MFG] to 2.90 levs and a 1.96% decline at investment firm HR Capital [BUL:HRC] to 2.00 levs.

Total turnover on the main market of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange grew to roughly 3.4 million levs ($1.8 million/1.7 million euro) on Monday from 2.84 million levs on Thursday. The BSE was closed for trading on Friday, September 22, which was a public holiday in Bulgaria.

Varna-based Galata Investment Company [BUL:GTH] was the day's top stock by turnover, generating 1.02 million levs after 412,500 shares changed hands. The stock closed flat at 2.48 levs.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)