Bucharest Stock Exchange index gains 12.4% in first quarter

Bucharest Stock Exchange’s BET index, which follows the shares of the most traded companies listed on the local market, gained 12.4% in the first quarter, the highest growth rate of all EU markets, according to Ziarul Financiar calculations based on Bloomberg data. In March, the BET gained 3%. The positive evolution was mainly driven by the high dividends announced by local listed companies. State-owned energy companies will again pay 90% of their net profits as dividends, according to a Government decision. Many of the BET companies will thus offer double-digit dividend yields this year. The value of share trading on the Bucharest Stock Exchange also increased by about 28% in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period of 2017, reaching over RON 3.51 billion (EUR 752 million). Bucharest Stock Exchange almost doubles profit editor@romania-insider.com