According to preliminary data released by the Bulgarian National Bank, foreign direct investment in Bulgaria stood at 242 mln euros (0.7% of GDP) in Jan, versus 122.4 mln euros (0.4% of GDP) in Jan last year.

Attracted equity capital (acquisition/disposal of shares and equities in cash and contributions in kind by non-residents in/from the capital and reserves of Bulgarian enterprises and receipts/payments from/for real estate deals in the country) amounts to 162.3 mln euros, which is 67.1% of the total sum, and by 22 mln euros above the figures for Jan last year. Receipts from real estate sales to nonresidents came to 105.4 mln euros, versus 102.4 mln a year ago.

Attracted equity capital on privatization deals with non-residents acquiring more than 10% of a Bulgarian enterprise stayed unchanged from last year – 1.4 mln year euros. Attracted equity capital on non-privatization deals stood at 138.9 mln euros.

Other capital (the change in the net liabilities of the direct investment enterprise to the direct investor on financial loans, suppliers’ credits and debt securities) totaled 48.1 mln euros, compared with a negative result in the amount of 49.5 mln euros in Jan 2007.

According to preliminary data, the value of reinvested earnings (the share of non-residents in the undistributed earnings/loss of the enterprise) in Jan stood at 31.6 mln euros.

By country, the largest investments in Bulgaria for the reported period came from Luxembourg (12.5%), Austria (12.5%) and Greece (8.5%).

According to the preliminary report, direct investment abroad rose by 19.3 mln euros in Jan. By comparison, in Jan 2007, direct investments abroad dropped 13.4 mln euros.

The value of equity capital invested abroad stood at 19.3 mln euros this January, versus 5.6 mln euros in Jan 2007.