ISX opens week with 0.4% up

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened this week Sunday with a 0.4% up to close at 98.6 points as rates of shares of 18 out of a total 46 traded firms went up, compared to last week’s 98.2 points. “More than one billion shares exchanged hands at 1.540 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $1.2 million) through 532 deals with rates of shares of 18 firms going up, 17 down and 11 retaining their previous levels,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors concluded 95 purchase deals worth more than 378 million dinars, mostly over the banking as well as the service, industrial and hotel sectors, 24% of the overall trading, and zero sale deals. The banking sector took the lead with 46% of the trading activities today (Dec. 19) through 199 deals worth 709 million dinars over 12 firms, followed by the industrial sector with 25% through 173 deals worth 391 million dinars over 14 firms, the hotel sector with 18% through 81 deals worth 277 million dinars over eight firms and the service sector with 117 million dinars through 47 deals over four 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) 34