ISX up 0.5% to close at 90.9 points

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) index went up in the beginning of the week with 0.5% to close at 90.9 points as rates of shares of 23 out of a total 34 traded firms saw a better time during Sunday’s session. “More than 974.646 million shares exchanged hands at 1.260 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $1 million) through 378 deals, with non-Iraqi investors obtaining 31 purchase deals worth 124 million dinars over the banking, industrial and service sector,” according to an ISX news bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency. The industrial sector took the lead with 420 million dinars through 21 deals, followed by the banking sector with 14% of the overall trading activities through 58 deals worth 178 million dinars over eight firms, the service sector with 11% through 68 deals worth 143 million dinars over three firms and the hotel sector with 81 million dinars through 23 deals over seven firms. Trading was modest over the insurance and agricultural sectors and a zero trading over the investment sector. 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