Assets managed by local and foreign investment funds operating in Bulgaria amounted to BGN 10.069 billion at the end of March. Their amount increased by BGN 1.263 billion (14.3%) in a year, and by BGN 316.8 million (3.2%) in three months. This is shown by the latest data of the Bulgarian People Bank (BPB).
In the reporting, joint stock companies with a special investment purpose (REIT) securitizing real estate are excluded.
As a percentage of GDP, the total amount of assets of local and foreign investment funds in our country at the end of the first quarter of this year was 5.1%, compared to 4.8% as of March 2023 and 5.3% as of the end of the fourth quarter of last year
Structure and size of assets
As of the end of March 2024, the assets of local investment funds reached BGN 3.262 billion, increasing by BGN 489.9 million (17.7%) in one year. On a quarterly basis, they grew by BGN 117.5 million (3.7%).
At the end of the first quarter of this year, the assets of the funds investing in shares increased by BGN 422.7 million (27%) to BGN 1.987 billion compared to BGN 1.564 billion as of March 2023, and those of the balanced funds and funds that invest in real estate grew by BGN 50.1 million (12.5%) to BGN 451.7 million compared to BGN 401.6 million as of March 31 last year.
Compared to December, the assets of funds investing in shares increased by BGN 91.4 million (4.8%), and of balanced funds and funds investing in real estate and others grew by BGN 27.6 million (6.5 %).
The funds managed by the funds, which invest their funds in bonds on an annual basis, grew by BGN 17.1 million (2.1%) to BGN 823.6 million as of March 31. Compared to December, however, they decreased by BGN 1.5 million (0.2%).
At the end of the first quarter of this year, the relative share of assets of funds investing in shares of the total amount of assets of local investment funds was 60.9%, compared to 56.4% as of March 2023 and 60.3% as of December 2023
Bond-invested funds held 25.2% of total assets as of March, up from 29.1% a year ago and 26.2% as of December 2023.
For Q1, investments in shares and other forms of ownership increased by BGN 91.3 million (6.9%), those in shares/shares of ID and DF - by BGN 28.6 million (2.7% ), and funds invested in securities other than shares increased by BGN 41.3 million (7.4%).
As of the end of March, shares and other forms of ownership have the largest relative shares in the total value of assets - 43.2%, followed by shares/shares of ID and DF - 33.4%, and securities other than shares - 18.4%, with respectively 40.5% for shares and other forms of ownership, 36% for shares/shares of ID and DF and 18.4% for securities other than shares as of the end of March 2023.