The SOFIX blue-chip index of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) lost 3.88% of its value closing today's session at 526.76 points near its closing levels in July 2004.

The broader BG40 index lost 4.38% to 143.06 points, dropping to its levels of the first half of 2006.

The losses of the BG REIT and BG TR30 indexes also deepened. The two indexes shed 3.78% and 5.14% to 55.18 points and 364.85 points, respectively.

BSE's overall turnover amounted to 3.46 mln leva, while the value of the over-the-counter deals came to 2.17 mln leva as at 14:38 p.m. A total of 106 issues were traded on the day, while 21 of the companies posted an increase the stock price.

Holding Roads was the only blue-chip that ended today's session in positive territory. The stock of the company appreciated by 9.09% to 12 leva per share. Only two shares in the company changed hands on the day.

Тhe secondary trade in the shares issued as part of the capital raise oepration of Holding Roads will kick off next Tuesday. Holding Roads raised its capital from 432 000 leva to 30.67 mln leva through the issuing of 30.24 mln new shares, which were distributed among shareholders who received 70 new shares for each existing share.

Industrial Holding Bulgaria's stock depreciated by 9.49% to 3.35 leva per share, while Sparky Eltos slipped by 7.47% to 3.7 leva per share.

The banks traded on BSE also ended today's session lower. Central Cooperative Bank slumped by 12.69% to 1.52 leva per share. Corporate Commercial Bank's stock depreciated by by 7%, to 65.10 leva per share.

First Investment Bank ended the day 3% lower at 3.59 leva per share. The bank has opened two new offices in Assenovgrad and Razgrad, thus raising the total number of its offices to 155, it emerged today.

Despite the positive start to the session the Bulgarian American Credit Bank slipped by 0.53% to 18.9 leva per share.

Monbat declined by 5.63% to 5.8 leva per share, Lead & Zinc Complex skidded 0.83% lower to 11.9 leva per share. The management board of Monbat decided at a meeting held on October 24 to carry out a new share buyback with prices ranging between 6 and 8 leva per share.

Orgachim was also among BSE's decliners on the day. The stock of the company shed 3.03% of its value, to 96 leva per share. Chimimport's stock depreciated by 9.15% to 3.09 leva per share. The company announced last week that it would raise capital through the issuance of up to 50 mln shares. The company did not disclose the total value of the issues but said it plans to raise around 200 mln leva.

A total of 26 shares were traded on the position of Fazerless today. The stock shed 8.26% to 63.3 leva per share. The company booked 5.37 mln leva profit for the first nine months of the year, up 0.83% year on year.

Neochim ended the day 6.11% lower at 63 leva per shares. The company posted 53.94 mln leva profit for the first nine months of the year, compared to 1.9 mln leva profit for the year-ago period.