ISX opens week with 0.6% down

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened this week with a low of 0.6% to close at 128.4 points as rates of shares of 21 out of a total 46 traded firms went down. “More than 1.602 billion shares exchanged hands at 2.7 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $3.3 million) through 787 trading deals during a session that saw rates of shares of 13 firms going into the green, 21 in the red and 12 retaining their previous levels,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors obtained 57 purchase deals worth 294 million dinars, mostly over the banking, service and hotel sectors, and only two sale deals worth 2.4 million dinars over the banking sector. The banking sector took the lead with 72% of the overall trading activities through 486 deals worth 1.966 billion dinars over 16 firms, followed by the industrial sector with 18% through 228 deals worth 502 million dinars over 15 firms and the hotel sector with 2% through 40 deals worth more than 147 million dinars over eight firms. Trading was modest over the service, agricultural, insurance and investment sectors. 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. The ISX now holds five sessions from Sunday to Thursday. AmR (TS) 393