The Prague Stock Exchange continued to strengthen last week, as the headline PX-50 index closed Friday at 642.5 points, up 0.9% on the week. The blue chip PX-D index closed the week at 1 600.9, a gain of 1.0%. The overall traded volume on the PSE was USD 184.6 mil., which was 8% above the 12M weekly average. Komercni banka was the busiest stock again last week, as USD 52.9 mil. worth of its shares changed hands.
Unipetrol lost 3.5% to close Friday at CZK 60.7 on a sizable volume. The government launched its second attempt to privatize the petrochemical holding last Thursday by inviting investors to express preliminary interest in the state’s 63% stake. In other names down on the week, České radiokomunikace and Komercni banka both lost 0.6% of their value.
Cesky Telecom was the gainer of the week, rising 3.5% to CZK 287.1, but hangover issues still weigh on the stock price, we believe (minority shareholder TelSource is to offer its 27% stake in CT on capital markets). CEZ rose by 1.6% to CZK 143.9, and Erste Bank strengthened by 0.7% to CZK 3,078. Philip Morris CR gained 0.4% on the week.
As for this week, both Erste Bank and T-Mobile CR (39% owned by České radiokomunikace) are to report their 9M 2003 results on Thursday.
Jitka Oppitzová