ISX registers plunge in 20 firms’ prices, 9 up

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Rates of 20 out of a total 39 joint-stock companies’ shares that exchanged hands on Sunday plunged while those of nine others were off to a fresh start and shares of 10 companies retained their previous rates as the Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) index closed at 98.13 points, down by 0.6%. Traded shares hit 814 million worth 1.267 billion Iraqi dinars (about one million dollars) through 360 transactions, 46 of them went to non-Iraqi investors with a total number of 223.7 stocks worth 297 million Iraqi dinars. The banking sector achieved the highest trading volume with 83% through 235 transactions over 16 companies, followed by the hotel sector with 6% of the shares traded today (Jan. 17) through 65 transactions over seven companies. Coming third was the industrial sector with 34 transactions over eight industrial firms and the service sector with 19 transactions over four companies. 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 (P)/SR 1