Today's trade on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) was marked by an euphoria unseen in months. The decline in Corporate Commercial Bank's (KTB) stock price in a second straight day pared down SOFIX's advance, as the bank has the biggest weight in the index.

Nevertheless, the blue-chip index gained 2.82%, to 283.88 points, while BG40 advanced by 2.02%, to 87.57 points. BG REIT (+3.40%, to 38.93 points) and BG TR30 (+3.64%, to 214.14 points) gained more than 3% on the day.

BSE's overall turnover came to 1.76 mln leva, while the value of the over-the-counter deals exceeded 472,000 leva as at 2:15 p.m. A total of 89 issues were traded on the day with 57 of the stocks posting price gains.

Trade in the stock of holding companies, banks, infrastructure companies and mining companies was extremely active.

Chimimport's stock continued to appreciate today, closing the day up 14% at 1.63 leva per share. A total of 82,273 shares in the company traded hands on the day.

Eurohold Bulgaria gained 5.63%, to 0.92 leva per share. A total of 28,831 shares in the company traded hands on the day.

The holding companies traded on Segment A of BSE's Official market also ended the day higher. Industrial Holding Bulgaria's stock appreciated by 7.31%, to 1.40 leva, while Albena Invest Holding's stock price went up by 16.00%, to 3.48 leva per share. Stara Planina Hold ended today's session 5.27% higher, at 1.42 leva per share. Synergon Holding was up 6.06%, to 1.75 leva per share.

All banking stocks, except for Corporta Commercial Bank posted gains on the day. Central Cooperative Bank advanced by 1.39% to 0.88 leva per share. The traded volume on the position came to 133,608 shares.

First Investment Bank's stock appreciated by 12.40%, to 1.63 leva per share, after 40,203 shares traded. Bulgarian-American Credit Bank gained 5.05%, to 8.56 leva per share.

The stock price of KTB continued to slide for the second straight day. The stock lost nearly 10% of its value on the day closing at 58.51 leva per share. Yesterday Bulgarian Acquisition Company ІІ acquired 30% of the capital of the bank. A total of 1.8 mln shares changed hands on the over-the-counter market at a price of 102.97 leva per share.

Holding Roads edged 2.29% up to 2.24 leva per share. The traded volume on the position came to 14,762 shares. Moststroy gained 4.26%, to 2.45 leva. Trace Group Hold closed 8.12% up at 35.68 leva per share.

Other advancers on the day included Lead & Zinc Complex (+1.37%, to 8.90 leva) and Monbat (+3.16%, to 3.92 leva). Tha latter booked 9.67 mln leva sales revenue in February, which represents a decrease of 51.65% compared to the corresponding month of 2008. The sales of the company declined amounted to 19.41 mln leva in the first two months of the year, down more than 50% year on year. The company forecasts 25.5 mln leva sales revenue for the first quarter of the year.

Kaolin's stock appreciated by 2.76%, to 2.98 leva after a total of 14,631 shares traded. Billboard closed 6.60% higher at 1.20 leva per share.