ISX index up by 0.2% as trading down to ID3.7b this week

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) index went up 0.2% to close at 91.5 points this week as the volume of trading rose to 3.770 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $3.2 million) compared to last week’s 4.4 billion dinars. “The ISX saw 2.5 billion shares exchanged hands through 210 deals, down from last week’s trading activities by 15%,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors obtaining 70 purchase deals (417.9 million shares) worth 573.7 million dinars, mostly over the banking, industrial and hotel sectors, and 12 sale deals worth 539 million dinars over the banking and industrial 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 (S) 1