Sofia share indices extend gains, turnover spikes

The top performers in the benchmark index were hydraulic equipment manufacturer M+S Hydraulic [BUL:MSH], which added 3.88% to 10.70 levs, and the Bulgarian Stock Exchange [BUL:BSE], which grew by 1.38% to 14.70 levs.

The two companies also drove up the BGBX40, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, and the BGTR30, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight. The biggest gainer in both indices, however, was real estate investment trust Sopharma Buildings REIT [BUL:SFB], which surged 10.07% to 16.40 levs.

Overall, the BGBX40 index advanced by 0.23% to 171.30 points, while the BGTR30 climbed by 0.44% to 856.90 points.

The BGREIT index, which tracks seven real estate investment trusts, leapt 0.67% to 191.96 points, following the increase at Sopharma Buildings.

Finally, the BEAMX index, which tracks the ten most highly capitalised growth companies, zoomed 2.13% to 100.21 points. It was boosted by a 6.67% jump in venture capital firm Webit Investment Network [BUL:WIN] to 0.88 levs.

Total turnover on the main market of the Sofia bourse swelled to 15.83 million levs ($8.79 million/8.09 million euro) on Tuesday from 5.63 million levs on Monday.

Pharmaceuticals maker Sopharma [BUL:SFA] was the day's top stock by turnover, generating 6.48 million levs as 1.04 million shares traded. The company closed 0.32% higher at 6.22 levs.

(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)