The 11 companies that are in the SBI TOP index are the most liquid and highly capitalised stocks on the Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE). The index, which is designed to be tradeable, thus serves as a capital benchmark for the country, intended for use in index-linked financial instruments
The SBI TOP rose 15.2% in 2019, representing a good return for investors, even better than real estate (on average). But what are the firms it includes, and what do they do? Using data from the last trading day of 2019 (December 23), the component companies are listed as follows in ascending order of value for their index free-float capitalisations.
11 Intereuropa - €12,034,049
Based in Koper and part of the Intereuropa Group, this company offers a global logistics service and the leading supplier of such services in Slovenia and South-Eastern Europe. In September 2019 Pošta Slovenije, the state-owned postal operator, announced plans to acquire 72% of the firm. Our stories on Intereuropa are here.
10 Unior - €19,443,136
Now entering it’s 101st year in business, Unior grew from the 18th century tradition ironworks in the Pohorje hills. The forged metals and toolmaker is now a leading global supplier for the auto industry. The name is based on the words univerzalno orodje (universal tools). All our stories on the company are here.
9 KD Group - €42,742,453
KD Group is one of the Slovenia’s leading financial groups, managing market and non-market investments. The firm was founded by Matjaž Gantar, who died 2018 at the age of 54, having become one of the richest men in Slovenia, with a colourful and varied career that included being the bass player in two of the country’s legendary punk bands, Lublanski Psi and Pankrti. Our stories on KD Group are here.
8 Cinkarna Celje - €90,170,233
Established in 1873, Cinkarna Celje is a chemical company whose main product is titanium dioxide pigment. This is able to protect materials against the damaging influences of sunlight and weather, in addition to having very good bleaching and coating properties. Exports account for more than 80% of the firms sales. Our stories on Cinkarna Celje are here.
7 Luka Koper - €127,680,000
Luka Koper runs the port of Koper, a logistics centre that’s the best connected container port in the Adriatic, and ranked 80th in a list of the 900 best connected ports in the world. It’s expected to benefit from Chinese investment in Trieste, and from the growing infrastructure and trade links between Europe and Asia. Our stories on Luka Koper are here.
6 Telekom Slovenije - €144,826,192
In addition to its operations in Slovenia, Telekom is also the majority owner of a number of foreign subsidiaries, including mIpko Telecommunications sh.p.k. (Kosovo); Siol DOOEL Skopje (Macedonia); Blicnet d.o.o., Banja Luka and Siol, d.o.o., Sarajevo (Bosnia and Hercegovina); Siol d.o.o., Beograd (Serbia); Siol d.o.o., Podgorica (Montenegro); and Siol d.o.o., Zagreb (Croatia). Our stories on the company are here.
5 Pozavarovalnica Sava - €187,005,529
Better known as Sava Re, the company is an international insurance group present in more than 100 insurance and reinsurance markets across the globe, and is the largest of reinsurance firms domiciled in Central and Eastern Europe. Our stories on Sava Re are here.
4 NLB - €248,000,000
The recently (2018) privatised NLB is the largest banking and financial group in Slovenia, with subsidiaries throughout the former Yugoslavia and it’s logo atop one of the towers in Ljubljana’s Republic Square. Our stories on the group can be found here.
3 Zavarovalnica Triglav - €305,560,389
Triglav is Slovenia’s biggest insurance group, with a story going back to 1900. In recent years it’s also become the leading provider of mutual funds in the country, with asset management activity now an increasingly important part of its business. All our stories on Triglav are here.
2 Petrol - € 533,049,906
The Petrol Group operates petrol stations all over Slovenia and elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia, as befits its original name of Jugopetrol Ljubljana, which it lost in 1953. A major investor in Croatia, where it operates over 100 stations, it also own Jadranplin, which stores and sells liquified petroleum gas, and recently moved into the convenience store market. Our stories on the company are here.
1 Krka - €714,424,941
Krka is a pharmaceutical company based on Novo Mesto that focuses on producing generic drugs for the global market. A much smaller part of its business, but with a relatively high profile in Slovenia, is the company’s line of health resorts, under the name Terme Krka Group, which includes spa complexes and hotels. Our stories on Krka are here.
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