November 19 (SeeNews) - The benchmark SOFIX index of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange posted back-to-back losing sessions as First Investment Bank (Fibank) [BUL:5F4] erased 2.7% of its share price on Monday.
This was the first time Fibank shares traded on the Sofia bourse since the European Central Bank's announcement last week that it will undertake a comprehensive assessment of the lender as part of the process of establishing close cooperation on supervision with the country's central bank.
The ECB will check six Bulgarian banks, including Fibank and another BSE-listed lender - Central Cooperative Bank (CCB) [BUL:4CF]. CCB shares ended Monday's trading session 0.33% higher at 1.51 levs, but are still 3.2% down since the ECB's announcement.
The SOFIX ended at 592.68 points, 0.44% lower, as resort operator Albena [BUL:6AB] and construction company Trace Group Hold [BUL:T57] also took a heavy beating, losing 2.17% and 2.00%, respectively.
Trace Group Hold returned to red territory, closing at 2.94 levs on Monday, after the stock made a rebound attempt in the preceding trading session, gaining 5.63% on Friday. Trace Group Hold shares have so far declined 9.26% since the start of November.
Software developer Sirma Group Holding [BUL:SKK] extended its winning streak to eight consecutive sessions, after rising 1.52% to 0.936 levs on Monday, extending its gains since the start of the month to 9.35%.
Last week, 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.
The wider BGBX40 index, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, lost 0.58% to 115.97 points on Monday, as car battery maker Elhim Iskra [BUL:52E] plunged 21.74% to 0.9 levs.
Elhim Iskra has not made any announcements since October 30, when it published its interim financial statement, which saw an increase in both revenue and net profit. However, the company is expected to report by the end of the week its January-October sales revenue and gross profit, as well as forecasts for its sales in November.
The BGREIT index, which tracks the performance of real estate investment trusts (REITs), edged down 0.05% to 117.17 points on the back of a 1.04% drop in Bulgarian Real Estate Fund (BREF) REIT [BUL:5BU] shares. The decrease in BREF's share price was partially offset by a 0.77% rise in shares in Advance Terrafund REIT [BUL:6A6] - the biggest component of the index in terms of market capitalisation.
The BGTR30 index, in which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, closed 1.65% lower at 497.42 points, as Agria Group Holding [BUL:A72] took a 14.29% dive.
Agria Group Holding shares ended the session at 9.0 levs - their lowest close since February 2015.
The company is currently under investigation by Bulgaria's Commission for Protection of Competition over its failure to notify the regulator of its acquisition of 100% of local company Kehlibar in 2016.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)
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