ISX regains 7 points, trading hits ID1.5b this week

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) this week regained seven points, 3% of its index that closed at 260.9 points, trading more than 814 million shares at a value of 1.510 billion Iraqi dinars (ID), or $1.2 million, in 451 transactions. The ISX had closed at 253 points last week, registering 29 points’ loss after registering a record high of 302 during the May 21 session. The May 31 session saw more than 54 million shares exchanging hands at ID82 million, $70,000, in 38 transactions in which trading took place over the shares of three joint-stock firms out of a total five registered at the ISX. The firms are the Ashur International Bank (AIB), the Commercial Bank of Iraq (CBIQ) and Ashtar Hotel. The capital market has announced during the session that it will launch the first e-trading session over the shares of the Iraqi Middle East Bank and the Warka Bank for Investment & Finance as of the June 7 session. The industrial sector took the lead this week with 45% of the traded shares, followed by the hotel sector with 32%. The ISX had witnessed the first e-trading session on April 19 over five registered companies, three banks and two hotels. The ISX holds three sessions on a weekly basis: one electronic session over five joint-stock companies on Sundays and two manual trading sessions over 86 registered companies out of a total 91 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. AmR (S) 1