22 firms up in Sunday’s ISX trading session

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened this week on Sunday with 0.8% up to close at 97.7 points as rates of shares of 22 firms went into the green amidst trading activities of more than 1.2 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $1 million). “More than 783.580 million shares exchanged hands at 1.249 billion dinars through 471 deals. Twenty-two companies saw a better time today (Nov. 21), 10 went down while four others retained their previous levels,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors obtained 37 purchase deals worth 273.803 billion dinars, mostly over the banking as well as the industrial, hotel and insurance sectors, making 21% of the overall trading, and only one sale deal worth 109 million dinars. The industrial sector took the lead with 42% of the overall trading through 244 deals worth 527 million dinars over 12 firms, followed by the banking sector with 39% through 97 deals worth 461 million dinars over eight firms, the service sector with 11% through 70 deals worth 137 million over four firms and the hotel sector with 90 million dinars through 51 deals over nine firms. Trading was modest 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