Computer Stocks Boost Warsaw Bourse, More Gains Seen
The bourse shrugged off a quarter percentage point in all key interest rates by the European Central Bank (ECB), which announced its policy changes after the Thursday meeting. The leading stocks WIG 20 index rocketed by 4.1 percent by 1400 GMT in the afternoon continuous trade after soaring 3.2 percent to 2,017.1 points in the morning trade. The Warsaw index of telecoms&IT stocks rocketed 5.8 percent to 22,575 with top high tech stocks of Prokom, Optimus , ComputerLand soaring by nearly a maximum of 10 percent each in the single price auction system. The three stocks soared further in the afternoon trade, in what analysts saw a rekindled interest in companies investing in the potentially lucrative Internet ventures. Local fixed-line operator Szeptel skyrocketed by almost 20 percent to Zl 21 in continuous trade after the firm said it planned to invest $100 million over the next two years to become one of the country_s leading Internet providers.