ISX index down 0.8%

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Iraqi Stock Exchange index plunged 0.8% to close at 122.8 points as rates of shares of 22 out of a total 47 companies were down during Monday’s session of trading worth 2.372 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $2 million), according to an ISX news bulletin.About 1.497 billion shares exchanged hands through 869 trading deals in the session that saw rates of shares of 15 companies up, 22 down and 10 keeping their previous levels, according to the bulletin received by IraqiNews.com news agency.Foreign investors concluded 36 purchase deals worth 138 million dinars over the banking and industrial sectors and 30 sale deals worth 65 million dinars over the service and industrial sectors.Banking took the lead by obtaining the highest volume of trading, 60%, through 418 deals worth 1.428 billion dinars over 16 firms, followed by the industrial sector with 21% through 221 deals worth 495 million dinars over 12 firms and the agricultural sector with 9% through 29 deals worth 219 million dinars over four companies.Trading was frail over the sectors of hotels, insurance, investment and service.