25 July 2018•Update: 31 July 2018
By Tuba Sahin
ANKARA
Turkey's benchmark stock index closed Wednesday up 3.51 percent at 95,368.59 points with a total trading volume of around 11.3 billion Turkish liras ($2.3 billion).
Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index ended the day with a 3,234.78-point hike from Tuesday's close at 92,133.82 points, while it started the day at 92,382.48 points.
The benchmark index hovered between 92,165.26 points and 95,763.59 points during trading hours, while 89 stocks on the BIST 100 rose, and 11 fell compared to the previous close.
On Wednesday, the total market value of listed shares on the BIST 100 was around 630 billion Turkish liras ($132 billion) at close while the banking and holding sector indices climbed 6.41 percent and 3.28 percent, respectively.
All sectors gained value while the BIST transportation index posted the best performance with a 7.32 percent hike.
Shares of pharmaceutical company Eczacibasi Ilac (ECILC) were the top gainer of the day -- up 19.88 percent -- while stocks of the energy and construction company Isiklar Enerji Yapi Holding (IEYHO) saw the biggest drop, falling 3.70 percent.
The BIST 100's most traded listed companies were national flag carrier Turkish Airlines, private lender Garanti, defense company Aselsan, state lender Halkbank, and prominent polyester producer Sasa.
The USD/TRY exchange rate dropped to 4.8350 as of 5 p.m. local time (1400GMT), down from 4.8740 at Tuesday's close.
The euro/lira exchange rate fell to 5.6570 by market close, versus 5.7090 at Tuesday's close, and one British pound traded for 6.3730 Turkish liras, while the GBP/TRY rate was 6.4230 at the previous close.
In Borsa Istanbul's Precious Metals and Diamond Markets, one ounce of gold traded for $1,232.70 as of 4.30 p.m. local time (1330GMT) Wednesday, versus $1,227.50 at previous close.
As of 6 p.m. local time (1500GMT), the price of Brent oil dropped to $73.31 per barrel Wednesday, versus $73.44 on Tuesday's close.
