Trade in shares of Astera Cosmetics will start on the Bulgarian stock Exchange (BSE) on March 25, the bourse said. BSE's Board of Directors decided today that Astera's issue will be registered on segment A of the Unofficial Market.

Astera's issue was assigned the AST stock symbol. The value of the issue amounts to 1,705,706 mln. leva, divided in as many shares. Marina Kokerova will serve as Astera's Investor Relations Director.

The company's core business is production and trade in cosmetics products, essential oils and their end products, both domestically and abroad.

Astera also specializes in tourism, hotel and restaurant services, as well as in forwarding, impresario, translation, leasing, advertising, intermediary and marketing services.

None of Astera's shareholders have committed to or indicated that they will sell or offer for sale on BSE a certain amount of shares of the company at a given point of time.

Astera's shareholders include Lukan Lukanov, Chairman of the Board of Directors (90%), Mariyka Andreeva, member of the Board of Dorectors (5%) and Dimitar Lukanov, member of the Board of Dorectors as at the end of H1 2006 with 5% of the capital of the company.