ISX trades over 1.2b shares, index registers slight increase

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange (ISX) traded on Thursday over more than 1.2 billion shares worth more 2.3 billion Iraqi dinars ($2 million) through 449 transactions over 35 out of a total 68 electronically registered firms. Rates of shares of 15 companies went up, 12 down while eight retained their previous rates in a session that saw non-Iraqi investors grabbing 95 transactions over 504.2 million shares worth 764.9 million Iraqi dinars, about 32% of the overall trading. The banking sector came in the lead today with 90% of the shares and 75% of the trading activities through 278 transactions over stocks of 12 banking firms, followed by the industrial sector with 93 million shares worth 254.7 million Iraqi dinars through 96 transactions over 13 firms, the hotel sector with 11.2 million shares worth 279.3 Iraqi dinars over 42 transactions and the service sector that retained its previous rates. The ISX witnessed the first e-trading session on April 19 over five registered companies, three banks and two hotels. The banks were the Ashur International Bank (AIB), Al-Mansour Bank and the Iraqi Credit Bank while the hotels were the 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 three electronic sessions on a weekly basis: Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. AmR (S) 1