Sofia bourse indices turn red amid high turnover

The SOFIX was mostly driven down by a 2.07% decline in poultry producer Gradus [BUL:GR6] to 1.42 levs with 78,236 shares bought and sold.

This was compounded by losses of 1.09% in each of fertiliser maker Neochim [BUL:NEOH] and energy and insurance group Eurohold Bulgaria [BUL:EUBG], to 27.30 levs and 1.81 levs, respectively.

Drug maker Sopharma [BUL:SFA] was the biggest SOFIX winner, adding 1.64% to 6.20 levs.

The BGBX40 was constrained by a 5.74% slump in Zarneni Hrani Bulgaria [BUL:ZHBG] to 0.115 levs, in a trading volume of 77,000. The BGBX40, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, closed 0.39% lower at 157.43 points, further constrained by a 4.76% drop in cables maker Emka [BUL:EMKA] to 2.00 levs.

Additionally, Agria Group Holding [BUL:AGH] slipped 3.14% to 21.60 levs, while M+S Hydraulic [BUL:MSH] erased 2.54% to 11.50 levs. Overall, 17 out of 27 index constituents that traded on the day closed in red territory.

The BGTR30 index, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, shrank the most, by 0.43% to 783.81 points, chiefly on the back of the losses at Agria Group Holding, M+S Hydraulic and Gradus.

Lastly, the BGREIT index, which tracks seven real estate investment trusts, edged down 0.28% to 193.82 points. The highest loss was recorded by index member ROI Property Fund REIT [BUL:ROI], which ticked down 1.20% to 8.20 levs.

Total turnover on the main market of the Sofia bourse shot up to 6.45 million levs ($3.5 million/3.3 million euro) on Thursday from 613,179 levs on Wednesday, bulked up by trading in the standard equities segment.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)