ISX loses 18 points, exchanges hands at ID2.9b this week

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) lost 18 points during this week’s stock-trading, amounting to 6% of its general index that closed at 283 points with the investment sector taking the lead thanks to the growing value of portfolios, according to a broker on Friday. The ISX had closed at 302 points last week, a record higher since its establishment. Sunday’s e-trading session saw more than 240 million shares sold at a value exceeding 363 million Iraqi dinars (ID) through 48 transactions over the shares of four out of five joint-stock companies registered at the ISX. The firms are the Ashur International Bank (AIB), the Commercial Bank of Iraq (CBIQ), al-Mansour Hotel and Ashtar Hotel. The ISX had witnessed the first e-trading session on April 19 over five registered companies, three banks and two hotels. Two manual trading sessions were held during the week as more than 2.5 billion shares exchanged hands at more than ID2.9 billion ($2.5 million) through 514 transactions. Getting the highs this were was the investment sector with 46% of the shares, followed by the industrial sector with 33%, the hotels sector with 21% and the service sector with 13% 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