Turkey's benchmark stock index ends day down 0.17 pct

By Muhammed Ali Gurtas

ANKARA

Turkey's benchmark stock index fell 0.17 percent to close at 98,466.42 points on Tuesday.

Borsa Istanbul's BIST 100 index started the day at 98,573.87 points and ended down 164.85 points from the previous close.

The BIST 100's daily peak was 99,224.28 points while it fell to 97,906.63 points during Tuesday's trading. Compared with the previous close, 52 stocks on the index rose, 38 fell, and 10 were flat.

Among all sectors, the BIST leasing factoring index recorded the top performance -- up 14.70 percent -- and the BIST transportation index showed the largest decline, falling 3.35 percent.

Shares of leasing company Finansal Kiralama (ISFIN) enjoyed the highest gain, rising 19.91 percent, while stocks of casting producer Cemas Dokum (CEMAS) fell the most with a 19.85-percent drop.

The benchmark index' trade volume was 8.7 billion ($1.5 billion), ending Tuesday with a total market value of around 645 billion ($111 billion).

Turkish conglomerate Koc Holding ($7.17 billion), iron and steel producer Eregli Demir Celik ($6.56 billion), and energy giant Tupras ($5.92 billion) were the leading companies by market capitalization.

Daily trade volume leaders were national flag carrier Turkish Airlines, lenders Garanti Bankasi and Halkbank, defense company Aselsan, and petrochemicals producer Petkim.

As of close, the U.S. dollar/Turkish lira stood at 5.7780, versus Monday's closing rate of 5.7830.

The euro/lira rate was also stable at 6.7010, compared to 6.7020 at the previous close, and one British pound exchanged for 7.6440 , as the GBP/TRY was 7.6080 at Monday's close.

One ounce of gold was sold for $1,225.10 at Tuesday's close in Borsa Istanbul's Precious Metals and Diamond Markets, while the price was $1,225.00 at the previous close.

The price of Brent oil was around $80.85 per barrel as of 6:15 p.m. local time (1515GMT), hovering between $79.81 and $81.19 during Tuesday's trading.

Since the beginning of this year, Brent oil price has risen from $66 a barrel.