Economy-Egypt - Egyptian stocks started the new trading week where they left off last week, continuing their comeback after the huge losses suffered at the height of the revolution that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak. All three major indices rose on Sunday, the opening day of the new trading week.     The main EGX30 index measuring the performance of the heavyweight stocks on Sunday rose for the fifth time in six sessions, adding 1.74% to close the session on 5,558 points. EGX30 had finished last week with a remarkable 10% percent gain, after having fallen by nearly 13% last Wednesday and Thursday upon the resumption of trade, following a 55-day break because of the revolution.

The index is sill down nearly 22% for the year, having also lost almost the same value since the eruption of the 25 January revolution.

Small and medium stocks, on their part, made it seven out of seven sessions in the green, adding 5.5% on Sunday to end the session at 606 points.

The EGX70 index, whose shares are mostly held by Egyptian and Arab individual investors, has now gained nearly 20% over the last six days, but is still down over 15% for 2011.

Some 168 stocks rose on Sunday, only 13 fell, and two finished unchanged.

Sunday's total dealings reached 780 million Egyptian pounds (US$131 million).

In the meantime, Sunday witnessed the lifting of all temporary measures that were installed to ensure a safe resumption of trade in the market.

Working hours in the market returned to four hours instead of three, limit-up and limit-down movements were lifted, just like all extra-ordinary precautionary measures, as full normalcy returned to the market.

Pana 04/04/2011