ISX opens week with slight 0.02% down

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) opened this week on Sunday with a slight decrease in its overall index by 0.02% to close at 95.3 points as rates of shares of 10 out of a total 38 traded firms went up. “More than 756 million shares exchanged hands at 1.327 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $1.1 million) through 412 deals,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. Non-Iraqi investors obtained 40 purchase deals worth 44 million dinars, mostly over the banking, industrial and insurance sectors during the session that saw the rates of shares of 17 companies going in the red and 11 others retaining their previous levels. The industrial sector took the lead with 36% of the trading activities today (Dec. 5) through 186 deals worth 486 million dinars over 13 firms, followed by the service sector with 32% through 45 deals worth 434 million dinars over two firms, the banking sector with 19% through 123 deals worth 251 million dinars over 11 firms and the hotel sector with 45 deals worth 143 million dinars over seven 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