Istanbul Stock Exchange on a high

Shares traded up last week on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) at an average gain of 1.58% in value, with the main-100 index rising above 32,200 – a historic high. Markets got a boost ahead of the Tupras privatization deal and British Foreign Minister Jack Straw's positive statements on Turey's EU accession. The central bank's decision to keep interest rates unchanged was within expectations and did not affect the financial markets. As stocks posted gains and the main-100 index added 501 points throughout the week, average bond and bill yields slipped around half a percentage point. Leading currencies lost against the new lira, 0.74% in the case of the U.S. dollar and 1.31 percent in the case of the euro, while deposit rates remained unchanged. Winner shares in the stock market included Pinar Sut, which climbed 35.0%, followed by Finans Finansal Kiralama with 32.2% and Burcelik with 29.8%. The highest losses were seen in Makina Takim with 15.2%, followed by Ata Yatirim with 11.6% and Lio Yag with 11.1%. The price of 24 carat gold bullion rose to YTL 19.30 per gram and the price of Republican gold had increased to YTL 130.00 in the free market by the end of the week. Â