The combined net assets of collective investment schemes in Bulgaria stood at 486.48 mln leva as at the end of the third quarter of 2008, down by 45.35% year on year. There were a total of 77 mutual funds and 11 investment companies licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) as at September 30, 2008.

The number of asset management companies stood at 38 as at the end of the third quarter, while the value of the managed assets amounted to 683.27 mln leva, down by 18.09% quarter on quarter and 34.29% year on year.

The companies included in the calculation of the SOFIX blue-chip index accounted for 32.41% of the overall market capitalization of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange as at September 30, 2008. The companies also accounted for 50.32% of the deals sealed on BSE in the third quarter of the year.

The companies included in the calculation of the broader BG40 index made for 45.37% of the overall market capitalization of BSE as at the end of the third quarter. Trade in these stocks accounted for 79.34% of the deals on BSE in the third quarter.

The companies included in the calculation of the BGREIT index accounted for 3.17% of BSE's market capitalization as at the end September 2008. They accounted for 2.86% of the transactions on BSE in the period July-September.

The companies in the BG TR30 index made for 37.87% of BSE's market capitalization as at the end of the third quarter of the year. Deals in the stocks of these companies accounted for 69.57% of the transactions on BSE in the period.

The number of real estate investment trusts (REIT) stood at 69 as at the end of September 2008. The combined assets of REITs grew by 6.35%, to 1.63 bln leva. REITs specializing in the securitization of real estate accounted for 95.2% of the figure.

Companies specializing in the securitization of arable land made for 37.44% of the combined assets of REITs.

REITs accounted for 10.97% of BSE's market capitalization as at the end of the third quarter of 2008.

BSE's market capitalization declined by 25.03 %, to 16.58 bln leva in the third quarter of the year and by 40.53%, compared to the year ago period. Financial intermediation accounted for 36.02% of BSE's overall market capitalization.