The funds managed by local and foreign investment funds operating in Bulgaria, amounted to 1,190.6 mln leva at the end of December 2007, which is 602.7 million leva (102.5%) up from 31 March 2007 (587.9 mln leva), the Bulgarian National Bank reports.

Assets managed by investment funds account for 3.5% of all deposits of the non-government sector in the banking system (up from 2.2% at the end of March 2007).

Assets of the resident investment funds amounted to 897.5 million leva at the end of December, which is an increase of 466.3 million leva (108.2%) compared to 31 March 2007 (431.2 million leva).

Assets of equity and mixed funds grew at the highest rate. Equity funds assets rose 146.9% from 229.3 million leva on March 31 to 566.2 million leva on 31 December. Mixed funds assets rose 83.9% to277.7 million leva.

Equity funds held the highest share in the overall assets of resident investment funds - 63.1% against 53.2% in March. Mixed funds held 30.9% down from 35% at the end of March.

Among the instruments included in the portfolio of resident investment funds, the largest share belonged to shares and other equity (60.7%), deposits (21.5%) and securities other than shares (11%).

The currency breakdown of the resident investment funds assets was dominated by assets denominated in BGN – 82% (against 76.5% as of 31 March) and EUR – 11% (against 17.2% as of 31 March 2007).

As to the geographical breakdown the assets were mainly allocated to the domestic market, where 88.3% of the investments of resident investment funds were concentrated.

As of 31 December 2007 non-resident investment funds had attracted BGN 293.1 million, up 87% from 31 March (BGN 156.7 million).

The institutional sector breakdown of investors in non-resident investment funds shows the prevalence of Insurance Corporations and Pension Funds (49.8%) and Households and Non-profit Institutions Serving Households (41.5%) as of end of 2007.

The liabilities of resident investment funds amounted to BGN 897.5 million. The institutional sector breakdown shows that the main shareholders were Households and Non-profit Institutions Serving Households (53%) and Non-financial Corporations (29.1%).