The main Egyptian stock indexes today tumbled for the fourth consecutive day, ending with a total market capital loss of 3.5 billion EGP (U.S. $419.6 million). Unrest and instability in the world market caused foreign and institutional investors to flee the Egyptian indexes, despite relatively heavy buying from Arab and Egyptian investors. The EGX30 fell 1.1 percent to end at 4,486 points and the EGX70 fell 1.2 percent. Egyptian investors were responsible for 57.6 percent of today's transactions, totaling 16.07 million EGP (U.S. $2.7 million), and Arab investors took 5.59 percent of the market with 13.9 million EGP (2.3 million) in transactions. Foreign investors took 36.81 percent of the market with 30.05 million EGP (U.S. $5.04 million) in transactions. Institutional transactions accounted for 46.55 percent of the market, totaling 22.5 million EGP (U.S. $3.78 million), and individual transactions comprised 53.45 percent, with the same total. Many blue-chip stocks today suffered significant losses, including Arab Company for Pare Cotton, down 5.2 percent; Sinai Cement, down 2.2 percent; Orascom for Construction, down 1.02 percent; Commercial International Bank, down 0.88 percent, Citadel, down 4.5 percent, Ezz Steel, down 2.02 percent; Sodic Company, down 2.5 percent; Orascom Telecom, down 2.6 percent; Pioneer, down 3.6 percent; and Palm Hills, down 3.01 percent.
