In the first 9 months of 2003 volume of currency transactions at KASE reached $4,274.5 m and increased 2.3 times

/IRBIS, October 1, 03/ - In the first 9 months of 2003 total volume of transactions concluded at the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) reached the equivalent of $4,274.5 m and increased by $2,476.6 m, or 2.4 times relative to similar period of the previous year. During the year 2002 foreign currency transactions volume at KASE was estimated at equivalent of $2,980.7 m. Following is the table with the volumes of foreign currency transactions at KASE in 2003 month by month. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Total volume of trades, th. unit. Volume --------------------------- Volume, of equivalent, Month USD EUR RUR m KZT th. USD --------- ---------- ------ ------- --------- -------------- January 306,150 420 0 47,622.8 306,601.6 February 606,555 560 13,700 93,183.3 607,592.5 March 356,485 100 1,000 54,038.5 356,623.1 April 398,570 15 0 60,584.3 398,586.1 May 393,005 0 500 59,334.8 393,021.3 June 567,235 150 3,500 84,530.7 567,523.1 July 426,945 0 0 62,735.7 426,945.0 August 574,235 0 0 84,272.8 574,235.0 September 642,865 450 0 95,202.6 643,371.9 --------- ---------- ------ ------- --------- -------------- Total 4,272,045 1,695 18,700 641,505.6 4,274,499.4 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Weighted average market rate of tenge to U.S. dollar, calculated based on the deals of the main session of the KASE for the period from January 1, 03 till September 30, 03, equaled by IRBIS estimates to KZT149.94 per dollar. Devaluation rate of tenge to dollar is estimated as of August 31, 2003 as negative 5.92% APR based on the rate of the Exchange. For the first 9 months, tenge strengthened against dollar by 4.41% in nominal expression. In 2002 tenge devaluation level was 3.26%. [2003-10-01]