Trade with shares of Sopharma Trading (

) started today on BSE. The first transactions were at 5 leva. Some 10,730 shares have changed hands so far.

Main shareholder is Sopharma Jsc (

) , which controls 92.82% of the capital and plans to raise the company's free-float to 15% via SPO. The bourse code assigned to the issue is SFTRD.

Sopharma Trading's core activity is retail and wholesale trade with medicines, hygiene supplies, food additives and cosmetics. The product range features more than 7,000 items.

The company's distribution network covers 100% of the country and is organized by seven regional distribution centers. It supplies 3,500 pharmacies and 350 hospitals and clinics. Sopharma Trading also offers pre-distribution services to Bulgarian and foreign clients, that includes storage and logistics services.

In 2007 the company boosted sales revenues 90% to 259 mln leva (132.42 mln euros). Sopharma Trading has the second largest market share in Bulgaria and is the fastest developing distributor in its sector for a second year in a row.

According to IMS Health, in December 2007 Sopharma Trading's market share stood at 20%. Broken down to subsectors, the company holds 18.83% of the market of pharmacy supplying and 26.51% of the hospital supplies market.

Sales are projected to reach 317 mln leva (162.079 mln euros) this year and profit is seen at 3 mln leva (1.533 mln euros).