· HVB Bank Biochim has been given the award Best Agent Bank in Bulgaria by Global Custodian, a UK-based trade magazine.
The award, which is granted for providing service excellence to the foreign investment community, was given at a ceremony in London. HVB Bank Biochim also received the prize for Best Domestic Agent in Bulgaria for quality servicing local funds and pensions. Global Custodian is a leading magazine specialising in international business and servicing trade in securities. Its readership includes investors in the capital markets worldwide.

· WESTERN Union Financial Services Inc officially handed awards to three Bulgarian banks under its programme Top Country Teams 2004 for the high quality of the services they offer. United Bulgarian Bank's branch in the Southern town of Sliven was awarded for the highest number of transactions carried out, while the Sofia branch of Central Co-operative Bank (CCB) won the prize for the most rapid growth. SG Expressbank was awarded for the highest overall result.

· BULGARIAN National Bank said on March 21 it would auction 15 million leva in three-month discount treasury bills on March 28.
The previous 15 million leva three-month-bill issue was heavily oversubscribed as it saw bids worth 29.7 million leva in par value submitted at an average price of 99.39 leva. It earned investors a 2.4 per cent average annual yield, down from 2.45 per cent at the previous auction held in January. The February 21 auction produced a maximum yield of 2.48 per cent and a minimum yield of 1.71 per cent. BNB will set aside 95 per cent for price-competitive bids, with the rest earmarked for non-competitive bids.

· DSK BANK reported a net profit of 73 million leva for 2004, an increase by 60 per cent year-on-year.
Its assets at the end of 2004 grew to 3.2 billion leva, while the clients' deposits reached a total volume of 2.6 billion leva. DSK's credit portfolio ran to 1.7 billion leva in the crediting of individuals segment, which accounted for a 43 per cent market share. The number of its clients reached 3.8 million while payment cards used by them hit 700 000. Total volume of commercial credits extended by the bank came to 500 million leva, double the situation a year earlier.