ISX opens week with slight down of 0.04%

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened this week with a slight down in its index by 0.04% to close at 92.8 points as rates of shares of 19 out of a total 39 traded firms went up, compared to the previous session’s up by 1% to close at 92.8 points. “Some 545.870 million shares exchanged hands at a value of 972.447 million Iraqi dinars (roughly $831 million) through 373 deals,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors obtained 43 purchase deals worth 229 million dinars over the banking, service, industrial and hotel sectors and three sale deals worth 43 million dinars over the banking and service sectors. The banking sector took the lead with 38% of the overall trading activities by 38% through 83 deals worth 373 million dinars over 10 firms, followed by the hotel sector with 25% through 80 deals worth 237 million dinars over eight firms, the industrial sector with 24% through 145 deals worth 234 million dinars over 11 firms and the service sector with 104 million dinars through 42 deals over five firms. Trading was frail over the insurance and agricultural sectors and zero over the investment sector. The ISX witnessed its first E-trading session on April 19, 2009 over five registered companies, three banks and two hotels. The banks were: Ashur International Bank (AIB), Al-Mansour Bank and the Iraqi Credit Bank while the hotels were: Ashtar Hotel and Al-Mansour Hotel. On June 7, the Iraqi Middle East Investment Bank and the Warka Bank joined the electronic trading sessions. The ISX now holds five sessions from Sunday to Thursday. AmR (S) 2