BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: The Iraqi Stock Exchange index went down by 0.2% to close at 118.6 points as rates of shares of 8 out of a total 37 companies were down during Thursday’s session of trading worth 1,742 billion Iraqi dinars (roughly $1,5 million), according to an ISX news bulletin.

 

 

More than one billion shares exchanged hands through 585 trading deals in the session that saw rates of shares of 14 companies up, 8 down and 15 keeping their previous levels, according to the bulletin received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

 

 

Foreign investors concluded 60 purchase deals worth 310 million dinars over the banking, industrial, insurance and services sectors and 17 sale deals worth 77 million dinars over the services and banking sectors.

 

 

The banking sector took the lead by obtaining the highest volume of trading, 69%, through 290 deals worth 1,1 billion dinars over 15 firms, followed by the industrial  sector through 144 deals worth 324 million dinars over 8 firms and the services sector through 101 deals worth 159 million dinars over 4 companies.

 

 

The Iraqi Stock Exchange holds five sessions from Sunday until Thursday.

 

 

A total of 91 companies are registered.

 

 

SH (TI)/SR