The SOFIX blue-chip index of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) posted its first advance for the week. The value of the index rose by 1.65%, to 377.72 points. The broader BG40 index, which gained 0.85%, ended the day at 104.88 points. BG TR30 closed 1.60% higher at 281.82 points.

BSE's overall turnover exceeded 904,000 leva, while the value of the over-the-counter deals stood at 382,566 leva as at 2.30 p.m. A total of 76 issues were traded on the day with 40 of the stocks posting price gains.

Banking stocks ended today's session in positive territory. The advance is as follows: Central Cooperative Bank (+3.43%, 1.45 leva per share), First Investment Bank (+3.91%, to 2.42 leva), (+3.82%, to 13.20 leva per share) and Corporate Commercial Bank (+2.32%, to 63.49 leva per share). The latter booked 5 mln leva profit for April and 20.49 mln leva profit for the period January-April 2009.

A day before the auction for the unused rights issued as part of the capital increase of Chimimport, the stock of the company appreciated by by 2.67%, to 2.31 leva per share. The traded volume on the position came to 118,499 shares.

A total of 9,969,220 rights, which enable the subscription of the remaining nearly 6 mln shares of the issues, will be auctioned off tomorrow. A total of 84 mln new shares have been sibscribed so far (more than 93% of the total).

Lead & Zinc Complex's stock added 2.08% to its value closing the day at 12.30 leva per share.

Momina Krepost's stock price went up by 4.00%, to 1.30 leva per share. A total of 237 shares traded hands on the day.

Albena's stock appreciated by 0.52%, to 29.15 leva per share.

A total of 180 shares in Stara Planina Hold were traded on the day. The stock depreciated by 1.75%, to 1.57 leva per share. The holding company booked 5,000 leva consolidated profit for the first quarter of 2009. The sales revenue shrunk by 62% year on year, to 9.97 mln leva.