Bucharest Stock Exchange sees fastest growth rate among EU capital markets

Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) went up by 9% in the first two months this year, as BET, the main index of the local capital market, closed February 2018 at 8,452 points, the second largest closing value recorded by BET during the January-February period this year. The increase posted by the Bucharest Stock Exchange is the largest among main indices of the capital markets of the European Union, Reuters data show.

BET-TR index, which also includes dividends from BET companies, also went up by 9 percent last month and closed the trading session from Febuary 28th at 11,367 points.

"The growth rates earlier this year came as listed companies announced strong financial results and significant dividends. Romanian companies become more attractive in the eyes of investors, and the opportunities offered by the capital market are increasingly appealing to managers and entrepreneurs," said Adrian Tanase, CEO of BVB.

"The Romanian capital market held ground against one of the largest falls the US markets had experienced in a decade. The local exchange continued its upward trend and, despite recording some lower sessions, the increase after the first two months stood at 9%," said Lucian Anghel, President of the Board of Governors at BVB.

The average daily trading value exceeded EUR 12.7 million at the end of the January-February period this year or 55% above the level posted in the same period one year before. All in all, the investors traded equities worth over half a billion euros.

The market capitalization of the Romanian companies topped EUR 21 billion by the end of February 2018, while the capitalization of all the companies listed on the Main Market of BVB exceeded EUR 39 billion, a new all-time high.