November 14 (SeeNews) - The Bulgarian Stock Exchange saw its highest daily turnover since the IPO of poultry producer Gradus [BUL:GR6] in June, after corporate bonds worth 19.3 million levs ($11 million/10 million euro) changed hands on Wednesday.
Bonds issued by 11 companies traded on the Sofia bourse during the session. Trading in Holding Nov Vek [BUL:6N31] bonds formed the largest turnover - of some 10.3 million levs.
Total trading turnover amounted to 19.6 million levs on Wednesday, sharply up from 2.5 million levs on Tuesday, and the biggest trading turnover since June 18 - when Gradus raised 79.1 million levs in the first day of its IPO. Gradus raised 81.4 million levs in its two-day IPO, making it the second largest all-time, after the one of First Investment Bank [BUL:5F4] in 2007.
The blue-chip SOFIX index ended a two-day losing streak, gaining 0.15% on Wednesday, backed by a 2.22% rise in shares in software developer Sirma Group Holding [BUL:SKK].
On Tuesday, Sirma Group Holding announced that its consolidated net profit rose to 3.3 million levs in the first nine months of the year from 1.7 million levs in the same period of 2017, following a rise in revenue.
Central Cooperative Bank (CCB) [BUL:4CF] followed with a 1.68% increase to 1.51 levs, erasing some of its losses from preceding trading sessions. However, CCB shares are still 3.2% down for the week, after on Monday the European Central Bank (ECB) said it will undertake a comprehensive assessment of the lender, as part of the process of establishing close cooperation on supervision with Bulgaria's central bank.
On the losing side, civil engineering company Trace Group Hold [BUL:T57] dropped 3.29%, more than all other blue chips, ending at 2.94 levs - its lowest close since December 2012. The company's shares have erased some 9.3% of their value since the beginning of November.
The wider BGBX40 index, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, gained 0.23% to 116.58 points on Wednesday, supported by a 3.72% increase in the share price of agriculture company Agria Group Holding [BUL:A72].
Before the start of the session, Agria Group Holding shares had lost 13.76% of their value since August 13, when the competition regulator said that it is opening proceedings in relation to a deal from 2016 in which Agria Group Holding acquired 100% of local company Kehlibar.
The BGREIT index, which tracks the performance of real estate investment trusts (REITs), fell 0.05% to 116.99 points, solely on the back of a 0.26% decrease in the share price of Advance Terrafund REIT [BUL:6A6] - the largest component of the index in terms of market capitalisation.
All other BGREIT components ended Wednesday's trading session unchanged.
The BGTR30 index, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, closed 0.22% higher at 497.26 points, as Agria Group Holding rose most among its components.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)
Central Cooperative Bank AD is among the biggest banks in SEE, for more reference take a look at
Top 100 banks