ISX caps week’s sessions with 0.3% up

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) ended this week’s sessions with a 0.3% up to close at 92 points as rates of shares of 21 out of a total 41 traded firms were on the rise. “More than 337.267 million shares worth 815.445 million Iraqi dinars (roughly $696,000) exchanged hands during Thursday’s session through 401 deals with rates of shares of eight firms retreating and 11 retaining their previous levels,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors obtained 47 purchase deals worth 89 million dinars over the banking, investment, service and agricultural sectors and a single sale deal worth 76,000 dinars over the investment sector. The hotel sector grabbed the lion’s share of today’s trading with 47% through 87 deals worth 383 million dinars over eight firms, followed by the industrial sector with 24% through 155 deals worth 199.7 million dinars over 12 firms, the banking sector with 15% of the overall trading through 60 deals worth 122 million dinars over nine firms and the service sector with 105 million dinars through 85 deals over five firms. Trading was frail over the insurance, agricultural 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. 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) 1