The number of collective investment schemes in Bulgaria stood at 78 as at the end of the first quarter of the year. Mutual funds accounted for 67 of the figure, while investment companies stood at 11, data of the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) show.

The number of real estate investment trusts has gone up by 4 in the period. Three of them specialize in the securitization of real estate properties and one of the new companies specialized in the securitization of receivables. Thus the total number of REITs has risen to 65.

The number of notifications from foreign insurance brokers willing to operate in Bulgaria has risen considerably (157 in the first quarter of 2008). The number of notifications from investment intermediaries has grown by 117 in the first quarter of 2008, while those from insurers went up by 18 in the same period).

The combined assets of REITs stood at 1.426 bln leva as at March 31, 2008, up by 3.95% quarter on quarter. The premium incomes of general insurers exceeded 360 mln leva (up by 18.12%), while the premium incomes of life insurers amounted to 64 mln leva (up by 19.74%) as at the end of the first quarter.

The assets of pension insurance companies have gone down by 1.73% to 2.278 bln leva as at March 31, 2008. The assets of collective investment schemes shrunk by 24.8% to 685 mln leva.