ISX opens week with 0.06% down

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened this week Sunday with a 0.06% down in its overall index to close at 126.9 points as rates of shares of 18 out of a total 36 traded firms plunged. “More than 505 million stocks exchanged hands today (April 3) at 888 million Iraqi dinars (roughly $795,000) through 383 deals, with rates of shares of 10 firms going up while eight retaining their previous levels,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors obtained 29 purchase deals worth 121 million dinars, mostly over the banking and agricultural sectors, about 13% of the overall trading activities, and eight sale deals wroth 9.3 million dinars. The banking sector took the lead with 73% through 216 deals worth 654 million dinars over 13 firms, followed by the service sector with 11% through 58 deals worth 100 million dinars over five firms and the hotel sector with 6% through a number of deals worth 59 million dinars over nine firms. Trading was frail tenuous over the 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. On June 7, 2009, 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 (TS) 339