May 18 (SeeNews) - The Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) said it presented investment opportunities of the country's capital market - with a focus on 11 companies across various sectors of the economy - at a roadshow for international investors in London on Thursday.
The event, organised in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) drew attention to drug maker Sopharma [BUL:3JR] and its unit Sopharma Trading [BUL:SO5], car battery manufacturer MonBat [BUL:5MB], software developer Sirma Group Holding [BUL:SKK], express delivery company Speedy [BUL:0SP], steel panel radiators maker Korado Bulgaria [BUL:4KX], agriculture and trade firm Agria Group Holding [BUL:A72], real estate investment trust FairPlay Properties [BUL:6F3] and financial leasing company Elana Agrocredit [BUL:0EA].
Focus was also on Bulgaria's first exchange-traded fund (ETF) Expat Bulgaria [BUL:BGX] which tracks BSE's blue-chip SOFIX index.
"We are convinced that the Bulgarian capital market has a lot to offer to those investors, some of whom have recognized its opportunities and others are considering specific actions," Ivan Takev, CEO of BSE said in a statement.
"We [...] have exciting new projects in the pipeline that ultimately aim at better serving Bulgarian business. In the next months we will expand our portfolio of asset classes traded and bring transparency to markets where it currently does not exist. We will also be able to fill all remaining gaps in the capital raising process for all types of companies, ranging from early stage start-ups to mature listed national champions," Takev said in a separate statement issued by the EBRD.
EBRD First Vice President Philip Bennett said he is welcoming the planned launch of the 'SME Market', an exchange for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to raise funds.
The opportunities offered by the Bulgarian capital market were presented to representatives of over 80 international investment companies and funds including Barclays, Citi, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, JP Morgan, Manulife, RBS, Renaissance Capital and T. Rowe Price International.
In 2016, all BSE indices grew in the double digits, with the SOFIX gaining 27.24% to 586.43 points. Despite erasing losses sustained in 2015, however, the SOFIX stayed below the peak of 622.85 points it hit in April 2014.
Since the beginning of 2017, the SOFIX has added 12.2% to 658.87 points on Wednesday.
BSE is part of SEE Link, a platform for trading of securities listed on equity markets in Southeastern Europe. SEE Link was set up in May 2014 by the stock exchanges of Bulgaria, Macedonia and Croatia with the backing of the EBRD, became fully operational in March. Its aim is to facilitate the flow of capital through linking brokerage houses and provide them with a simple access to regional stock markets through partner brokerage firms.