KUWAIT: Boursa Kuwait ended trading yesterday in the green zone as the Premier Market Index went up by 18.3 points to reach 6,377.02 points. The Main Market Index also rose 22.18 points to reach 4,766.53 points, same as the All Share Market Index up by 19.48 points to stand at 5,832.13 points. The value of trades was at KD 24 million with the volume reaching 156 million shares done through 3,701 deals.
Meanwhile, Kuwait's Over the Counter Market (OTC) saw a decline in trading volume last week, with 7.16 million shares changing hands. Shares traded went through 37 transactions worth KD 490,140 (around USD 1.6 million). OTC report, issued yesterday, indicated that 'immediate' transactions saw a negative performance, with trading reaching 3.7 million shares at a value of KD 70,700 (around USD 240,300) through 20 transactions.

As for 'private' transactions, 3.4 million shares traded, valued at KD 419,350 (around USD 1.4 million) through 17 transactions. Boursa Kuwait had launched OTC as a new trading platform for those companies that are not listed in the bourse. OTC transactions are carried out through licensed brokerage offices working under Capital Markets Authority bylaws and Boursa Kuwait regulations. The fresh market aims to create a transparent environment by bringing buyers and sellers together using fully supervised mechanisms. The trading platform adopts the clearing and settlement procedures.

In other news, the exchange rate of the US Dollar remained at KD 0.303, same did the Euro at KD 0.344, said the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) yesterday. The exchange rate of the British Pound Sterling also held its ground at KD 0.384, while the Swiss Franc was up to KD 0.310. The Japanese Yen was stable KD 0.002. - KUNA