Egypt’s stock exchange suspended trading temporarily on Thursday after a sharp drop, amid the largest anti-government protests in the country in three decades.
The suspension came after the benchmark EGX 30 index dropped 6.2 percent, a day after it recorded a fall of six percent.
Trading resumed at 11.30 am (0930 GMT), but the index recorded further falls.
The jitters on the bourse come amid the most serious anti-government demonstrations in Egypt in three decades.
Six people have died in the protests against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, which, inspired by the ground-breaking “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, have sent shockwaves across the region and prompted Washington to prod its long-time ally on democratic reforms.
Egyptian stock index EGX30 has fallen 10 percent and the EGX70 has fallen 15 percent by noon on Thursday.
Trading on Egypt’s stock market was temporarily suspended on Thursday morning after the EGX 30 index fell 6.2 percent during the first 15 minutes of trading. The fall comes after two days of demonstrations and clashes with police across Egypt.
According to the Egyptian bourse’s website, the 6.2 percent drop left the index at 5,916.74 points.
On Wednesday, the index had fallen by 6 percent to 6,318 points by closing time.
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