ISX opens this week’s sessions with slight down

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened this week’s sessions on Sunday with a slight down in its index by 0.18% to close at 91.9 points as rates of shares of 12 out of a total 36 traded firms decreased. “More than 588.635 million shares exchanged hands at one billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $871,000) through 420 deals, with rates of shares of 16 companies going up, 12 down and eight retaining their previous levels,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraq investors obtained 49 purchase deals worth 175.5 million dinars over the banking, service and industrial sectors. The banking sector took the lead with 145 deals, followed by the industrial sector with 19% of the overall trading activities through 127 deals worth 195 million dinars over 12 firms, the hotel sector with 12% through 62 deals worth 129 over six firms and the service sector with 40 deals worth 85 million dinars over three 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