Turkey's benchmark stock index goes up at close

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s benchmark stock index went up 2.41 percent to close at 109,537.36 points on Monday.

Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index rose 2,574.26 points from 106,963.10 points at Friday's close, with an excessive trading volume of 6.7 billion Turkish liras ($1.9 billion).

On Aug. 7, the BIST 100 hit its historic peak of 109,947.87 points and recorded its highest close at 109,781.13 points.

Since the beginning of the year, the benchmark index has risen 40.8 percent, compared with its close at 77,754.46 points on Jan. 2, the year’s first trading day.

On the first trading day of the week, the banking and holding sector indexes went up by 2.92 and 2.96 percent, respectively.

Among all sectors, the BIST mining index performed the best with a 6.40 percent hike while all sector indices closed the day with an increase.

Shares of investment trust Global Yatirim Holding (GLYHO) were the top gainer on Monday -- up 13.75 percent -- while stocks of poultry and feed producer Banvit (BANVT) suffered a 2.85 percent down, the biggest drop of the day.

The BIST 100's most-traded stocks were national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THYAO), Global Yatirim Holding (GLYHO), mining company Koza Madencilik (KOZAA), energy company Ipek Dogal Enerji (IPEKE) and iron-steel producer Kardemir Karabuk (KRDMD).

The U.S. dollar/Turkish lira exchange rate decreased to 3.5250 by 5 p.m. (1400GMT) Monday, compared with 3.5390 at Friday's close.

Borsa Istanbul's Gold Exchange index went down by 0.47 percent, while the price of gold per kilogram also fell to 145,300 Turkish liras ($41,277) as of 4.30 p.m. (1330GMT) on Monday, compared with 147,050 Turkish liras ($41,530) at Friday's close.