Cigarette maker Blagoevgrad BT said profit fell 9% year-on-year to BGN 16 mln in January-September while net sales climbed by 12.5%, breaching BGN 152 mln. The company tripled its export sales during the first nine months of 2004, but higher services and compensation expenses and 30.4% increase in write-offs pressed margins down. The cigarettes maker was paired with sibling company Slantse Stara Zagora for privatisation purposes but the equity package failed to attract any bidders. Blagoevgrad BT fell 21.5% Thursday after trading with its stock on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange was resumed.