BSE stocks retreat, indices close 1% lower

In today’s trading session, the liquidity at the Bucharest Stock Exchange shrank 16% to 17.88 million lei (€4.32 million) from yesterday’s 21.34 million lei. Bond transactions totaled 22.6 million lei.

BET index that gauges the performance of the most actively traded stocks at BSE finished 1.12% lower to 5,119.05 points, while composite BET-C fell 1.06% to 2,976.34 points.

BET-FI index of the five financial investment companies (BSE:SIF) shed 1.11% to 25,717.70 points , while Vienna’s ROTX posted a modest decline of 0.95% to 10,553.38 points.

BET-XT index of the 25 most traded stocks declined 1.13% to 504.05 points, while BET-NG of the ten energy stocks at BSE closed 1.11% lower to 646.37 points.

European stock markets were posting sharp declines at BSE’s closing, weighed down by bank and mining stocks. China’s monetary policy tightening to avoid an overheating of the economy injected a new dose of pessimism into the markets.

China raised reserve requirements for banks in order to stabilize the economy that was growing at the world’s fastest rates, as lending pick-up is at risk of fueling inflation and creating asset bubbles.

At the London Stock Exchange, FTSE index of the leading 100 companies was shedding 1.08% to 5,478.24 points, while Germany’s DAX was suffering a 1.48% decline to 5,951.39 points. France’s CAC40 was falling 1.18% to 3,995.55 points.

FIC Oltenia (BSE:SIF5) have been the most traded stocks today with transactions worth 4.11 million lei, as shares closed 0.71% lower to 1.39 lei. FIC Moldova (BSE:SIF2) moved 0.82% down to 1.21 lei in a liquidity of 2.21 million lei.

In the energy sector, Petrom shares (BSE:SNP) plummeted 2.07% to 0.284 lei, as transactions totaled 2.68 million lei. Transgaz Medias (BSE:TGN) rose 0.06% to 174 lei in a liquidity of 2.21 million lei.

Transactions with BRD SocGen (BSE:BRD) totaled 896,400 lei, while shares lost 0.69% to 14.30 lei. Banca Transilvania fell 1.28% to 2.32 lei, in a liquidity of 478,400 lei.