ISX slightly down by 0.4% as week starts

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) index on Sunday went down slightly by 0.4% to close at 96 points as rates of shares of 19 out of a total 43 companies that exchanged hands saw decreased. The number of shares traded in today’s session hit 890.6 million worth 1.942 billion Iraqi dinars ($1.6 million) through 377 transactions, 13 of which went to non-Iraqi investors with a total 30 million shares worth 45 million Iraqi dinars over the banking and industrial sectors. The banking sector came in the lead with 63% of the overall trading today (Jan. 24) through 200 transactions over the shares of 16 companies, followed by the hotel sector with 32% of the actual trading in 99 transactions over nine firms. The industrial sector came third with 2% of the trading through 51 transactions over three industrial firms’ shares. 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)/SR 1