All indices on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange closed in positive territory
First Investment Bank [BUL:FIB] and Central Cooperative Bank [BUL:CCB] were the top SOFIX gainers.
Fibank added 8.17% to 2.78 levs, and CCB rose 6.25% to 1.19 levs. A total of 84,403 shares in Fibank and 32,915 CCB shares changed hands.
Supported by Fibank's gains, the BGBX40 index, which tracks the 40 most traded shares on the Sofia bourse, went up 0.51% to 139.66 points and the BGTR30 index, under which companies with a free float of at least 10% have equal weight, advanced by 0.17% to 702.81 points.
Poultry producer Gradus [BUL:GR6] and CEZ Development Bulgaria [BUL:CEZD] paced the decliners among the BGBX40 and BGTR30 components. Gradus shares erased 3.62% of their price, to 1.33 levs, while CEZ Development lost 3.29% to 294.0 levs.
Earlier on Wednesday, energy and insurance group Eurohold Bulgaria [BUL:EUBG] said that its energy sub holding Eastern European Electric Company (EEEC) lifted to about 99% and 97% the stakes that it owns in CEZ Distribution Bulgaria and CEZ Electro Bulgaria [BUL:CEZE], respectively. EEEC plans to make a tender offer to buy out the remaining shares in both businesses, before proceeding to delist them from the Sofia bourse.
The BGREIT, which tracks seven real estate investment trusts, increased by 0.10% to 171.50 points, due to a 0.49% rise in Bulgarian Real Estate Fund REIT [BUL:BREF].
Turnover on the BSE's main market rose to 4.3 million levs ($2.4 million/2.2 million euro) on Wednesday from 2.7 million levs on Tuesday.