In April, the benchmark index of the Budapest Stock Exchange (BÉT) climbed to a new all-time high, while trading volume reached its highest level in two decades.
On April 15, the benchmark BUX index hit a new historic record of 139,499.4 points. By the end of the month, however, the BUX had already fallen back by 5,700 points, reducing the monthly gain to 10%. Monthly trading volume reached nearly HUF 815 billion (EUR 2.2 billion), with average daily turnover amounting to HUF 40.7 billion (EUR 114.6 million), the highest level since 2007.
The blue-chip stocks OTP Bank (42.6%), MOL (21.4%), and Richter Gedeon (18.2%) remained the heavyweight components in the calculation of the benchmark index. Shares of OTP Bank alone generated trading turnover of HUF 590 billion forints (EUR 1.6 billion) in April, accounting for nearly three quarters of total trading volume. Compared to the previous year, OTP shares rose by almost 60%, while Magyar Telekom showed the strongest monthly momentum with a 19% increase.