Four banks operating in Bulgaria booked over 100 mln leva profit each for 2008, data of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) show. These are: UniCredit Bulbank, DSK Bank, UBB and Raiffeisenbank.

The four banks accounted for nearly two thirds of the profit of the banking system in Bulgaria for 2008, which amounted to 1.39 bln leva. The profit marked a 21.27-percent year-on-year increase.

D Commerce Bank posted the biggest growth rate outpacing Eurobank EFG, Citi Bank and ING Bank.

Among publicly traded banks Corporate Commercial Bank's profit jumped by 73.87%, while the profit of Central Cooperative Bank and Bulgarian-American Credit Bank rose by 5.57% and 4.04%, respectively.

First Investment Bank posted the smallest growth rate of 1.73%, while EIBank's profit declined by 54%.

Three banks, accounting for 10% of the total, posted losses. These are: Greece's Alpha Bank and Emporiki Bank, as well as Bank Leumi, which launched operations in Bulgaria in the middle of 2008.

Most profitable banks in Bulgaria for 2008 (Data: BNB)

№Banka200820071UniCredit Bulbank2887052537042DSK Bank2656201854933UBB2086851849364Raiffeisenbank132346953505Eurobank EFG97587506976Piraeus Bank58472362717BACB53166511008FIBank50931500659Corporate Commercial Bank402982317710Societe Generale Expressbank372192876411Central Cooperative Bank214532032112Allianz Bank Bulgaria208491926013ING Bank196631073914EIBank190124136615Citi Bank14825809416Union Bank13264751917ProCredit Bank129091342518BNP Paribas125551099719Investbank112571026220Municipal Bank104551354721Bulgarian Development Bank6818600322International Asset Bank56961291423D Commerce Bank5215115524NLB West-East Bank3145329425Tokuda Bank2654409826Teximbank932108329T.C. Ziraat Bankasi79982630Bank Leumi Romania-1044-22Emporiki Bank-3674-13729Alpha Bank-23063470 Total13867491143558