December 13 (SeeNews) - Total regulated market turnover on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange grew fivefold on Thursday following heavy trade in three companies, in a session which saw the BGREIT index end inches away from an all-time high.
Trading turnover on the regulated market amounted to 8.42 million levs ($4.9 million/4.3 million euro) on Thursday, 93% of which was formed by trade in poultry producer Gradus [BUL:GR6], real estate investor Galata Investment Company [BUL:GTH] and Advance Terrafund REIT [BUL:6A6].
Gradus was most traded among the three, forming a turnover of 4.77 million levs, followed by 1.68 million levs generated by trade in Galata Investment Company shares.
Advance Terrafund REIT saw heavy trade in its shares for a third consecutive session, as trade in the stock formed a turnover of 1.36 million levs on Thursday. In the preceding two trading sessions, trade in the REIT's shares generated turnovers of 1.2 million levs and 930,000 levs, equal to 74% and 66% of the respective sessions' total regulated market turnovers.
Advance Terrafund REIT ended 0.76% higher at 1.98 levs and were the sole reason for a 0.15% rise in the BGREIT index, which tracks real estate investment trusts listed on the Sofia bourse.
The BGREIT ended the session at 118.03 points, just 0.41% shy of its all-time high of 118.52 points, set in August 2017.
Advance Terrafund REIT was also among the few gainers part of the blue-chip SOFIX index, which ended 0.44% lower at 590.47 points.
The biggest gainer among blue chips on Thursday was Central Cooperative Bank [BUL:4CF], which added 1.4%.
The main reason for the drop in the SOFIX was industrial group Stara Planina Hold [BUL:5SR], which erased 5.11% of its share price on Thursday.
Stara Planina Hold was also the biggest decliner among constituents of the wider BGBX40 index and the BGTR30 index.
The BGBX40, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, dropped 0.28% to 114.75 points, while the BGTR30, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, fell 0.02% to 490.00 points.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)