The end of a calendar year is increasingly associated with price discounts and Christmas sales. The first days of the new year, however, are considered a calm period with limited consumer activity.

Nevertheless, this does not hold value for the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), where the sell-offs came two weeks later. There are plenty of reasons for this, including internal and external shocks for the country. An increasing string of negative news and tension.

BSE's all four indexes ended today session in negative territory. The SOFIX blue-chip index shed 4.38%, to 331.67 points. The broader BG40 declined by 3.27%, to 102.45 points, while BG TR30 skidded 4.34% lower to 248.00 points. BGREIT ended the day 3.16% lower at 45.97 points.

BSE's overall turnover came to 1.6 mln leva on the day while its market capitalization currently amounts to 11.8 bln leva. The turnover on BSE's over-the-counter market totaled 3.47 mln leva. A total of 85 issues were traded on the day with 16 of the companies posting stock price gains.

Lead & Zinc Complex was the only advancer on BSE's Official market today. The stock of the company appreciated by 1.38%, to 6.9 leva per share. The traded volume on the position came to 65 shares.

Albena Invest Holding was the bigest decliner on segment A of BSE's Official market. The stock of the holding company depreciated by 10.28%, to 3.5 leva per share. Stara Planina Hold shed 7.44%, to 1.48 leva per share. A total of 56,319 shares in the company traded hands on the day.

Industrial Holding Bulgaria declined by 1.67%, to 1.36 leva, while Synergon Holding lost 1.25%, ending the day at 1.81 leva per share.

Chimimport was also among today's decliners. The last deal on the position was sealed at a price of 1.93 leva per share, down 5.48%. Central Cooperative Bank and Oil & Gas Exploration & Production lost over 4% of their market value on the day. The stock of the bank depreciated by 4.02%, to 0.98 leva per share. A total of 10 shares in Oil & Gas Exploration & Production were traded on the day. The stock lost 4.2% of its value, to 3.26 leva per share.

The other three actively traded banks on BSE also ended today's session lower. First Investment Bank sropped by 8%, to 2.09 leva per share, Corporate Commercial Bank shed 1.39%, to 70.01 leva per share, while Bulgarian-American Credit Bank lost 18.02% ending the day at 9.8 leva per share.

Monbat's stock depreciated by 3.23%, to 4.46 leva per share. The turnover on the position came to 21,918 shares. Elhim Iskra closed 6.47% lower at 1.59 leva per share.

The day brought bad news for the tourist companies as well. SS Konstantine And Elena Holding lost 10% ending the session at 12.11 leva per share. Albena's stock depreciated by 2.37%, to 24.8 leva per share.

Infrastructure companies were also among losers on the day. Holding Roads lost 3.54%, to 2.7 leva per share, Moststroy declined by 0.32%, to 3.14 leva, while Trace Group Hold dropped by 2.78%, to 35 leva per share.

Other decliners included Eurohold Bulgaria (-9.33%, to 1.36 leva per share) and Euroins (-0.74%, to 2.68 leva per share). Bulstrad advanced by 4.19%, to 44.8 leva per share. The traded volume on the position came to 23 shares.

Sviloza was today's biggest decliner losing 45.33% of its value to 0.82 leva per share.