Iraq Economic News And Points To Ponder Thursday Afternoon 4-9-26
ISX trades $17M+ in monthly activity
2026-04-09 Shafaq News- Baghdad The Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) recorded more than 26.9 billion Iraqi dinars in trading value over March —roughly $17.6 million. According to market data, more than 12.8 billion shares were traded during the month across 17 regular trading sessions.
The ISX60 index closed the month at 964.57 points, marking a 0.12% increase compared with the previous session.
Throughout the month, the exchange executed around 16,775 sale and purchase contracts across listed companies. During the period, 81 companies out of 118 listed firms recorded actual trading activity.
https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/ISX-trades-17M-in-monthly-activity
IMF Flags Global Growth Downgrade As War Hits Energy Supply
2026-04-09 Shafaq News- Washington War-linked supply shock has cut global oil flows by about 13% and LNG by 20%, pushing energy prices higher and forcing a downgrade in global growth forecasts, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Thursday.
In a speech during the 2026 IMF Spring Meetings, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said oil prices rose from $72 per barrel before the conflict to a peak of $120, before easing slightly. She pointed to multiple ripple effects, including shortages of refined fuels such as diesel and jet fuel, disruptions to transport and trade, and worsening food insecurity, with an additional 45 million people at risk of hunger due to higher transport and fertilizer costs.
Kristalina Georgieva @KGeorgieva As in past shocks, alertness and agility are key. Central banks should stress commitment to price stability. Fiscal support should be targeted and temporary. And all countries must reject go-it-alone actions that can further upset global conditions. https://imf.org/en/news/articles/2026/04/09/sp040926-spring-meetings-2026-curtain-raiser…
She outlined three main transmission channels for the shock: higher prices and shortages driving inflation, rising inflation expectations that could destabilize markets, and tightening financial conditions marked by widening bond spreads and a stronger US dollar.
Georgieva also warned that global public debt remains elevated, limiting fiscal space, and stressed the need for responsible policy management as borrowing costs rise.
She estimated that demand for IMF financial support could increase by $20 billion to $50 billion in the near term, depending on how the conflict evolves, adding that it stands ready to assist its 191 member countries.
https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/IMF-flags-global-growth-downgrade-as-war-hits-energy-supply
Read more: Opinion: US moves to control oil and collapse Iran
Oil Prices Climb As Strait Of Hormuz Traffic Remains Disrupted
2026-04-09 Shafaq News Oil prices pared gains to rise about 1% on Thursday after Israel said it would start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible.
Doubts over the durability of a two-week Middle East ceasefire raised concerns about continued restrictions on energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, sending prices up more than 5% earlier in the session. Those gains were later erased after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had given instructions for Israel to begin peace talks with Lebanon that would also include the disarming of Hezbollah.
Brent crude futures were up 90 cents, or 1% at $95.65 a barrel at 12:58 p.m. ET (1658 GMT), easing from a high of $99.50 earlier in thesession. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also pared gains, rising $3 or 3.2% at $97.39, after hitting a session high of $102.70.
Both benchmarks fell below $100 per barrel in the previous trading session, with WTI recording its biggest decline since April 2020, on optimism that the ceasefire would result in a reopening of the strait.
Israel, however, bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday, putting the ceasefire in jeopardy after its biggest attacks of the war on its neighbor killed more than 250 people and threatened to torpedo Donald Trump's truce from the outset.
Questions also lingered over the effectiveness of the ceasefire as ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell to well below 10% of normal volumes on Thursday after Iran asserted control by warning vessels to remain within its territorial waters and prices for some physical oil grades hit fresh.
The Hormuz waterway connects supply from Gulf producers such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar to global markets, and typically carries about 20% of global oil and gas supply.
"Crude futures are taking back some of (Wednesday's) losses as the Strait of Hormuz remains with just a small fraction of traffic, much less than the market anticipated (Wednesday)," said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial.
"The ceasefire agreements are in question as Israel had continued to strike Lebanon and Vice President Vance is en route to the Middle East to continue the talks," Kissler added.
RISKS WON'T DISAPPEAR OVERNIGHT
"Even if shipments resume, the risks won't disappear overnight," said Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club. "Tankers may be forced to navigate mined waters and a heightened military presence, all of which will keep insurance premiums high and freight costs elevated."
Shippers on Wednesday said they needed clarity on terms of the ceasefire before resuming transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has issued maps to guide ships around mines and showing safe paths for passage, Iranian media reported.
Regional oil facilities remain under threat, with Iran striking sites in nearby countries after the ceasefire, including a pipeline in Saudi Arabia that has been used to bypass the blockaded waterway, according to an oil industry source.
Crude loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu have continued despite an Iranian on Wednesday on the country's East-West Pipeline, sources at two buyers from the port and a third trading source told Reuters on Thursday.
Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE also reported missile and drone attacks by Iran.
The ceasefire led Goldman Sachs to trim its second‑quarter 2026 forecasts for Brent and U.S. crude to $90 and $87 a barrel, respectively, from previous forecasts that Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil prices would average $99 and $91 a barrel, respectively. (Reuters)https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Russia-expects-9-billion-oil-tax-surge
Iraq Cracks Baath Cell Hid Behind Civilian Cover In Baghdad
2026-04-09 Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq's National Security Service (INSS) announced Thursday it had dismantled an organized cell linked to the banned Baath Party operating in western Baghdad, following a months-long intelligence operation.
The agency's spokesman said in a statement that the operation exposed the cell's organizational structure, which began its activity under civilian cover before shifting to a military character. Security forces seized photographs of security personnel and sensitive locations from the cell's members, and detected attempts to recruit new members. Eight people have been arrested so far.
The agency also sent warning text messages to individuals who had been lured into the so-called "Iraqi National Assembly for Change and Liberation" -a front linked to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party- urging them to withdraw. Many of those contacted responded by shutting down platforms that had been used for recruitment and promotion.
https://www.shafaq.com/en/Security/Iraq-cracks-Baath-cell-hid-behind-civilian-cover-in-Baghdad
US Embassy Seeks Public Help To Identify Attackers In Iraq
2026-04-09 Shafaq News- Baghdad On Thursday, the US Embassy in Iraq called for information about people targeting its facilities in Iraq.
The embassy urged for information on Iran-aligned armed factions or individuals responsible for the attacks.
Since the outbreak of hostilities between Iran, the United States, and Israel on February 28, the US Embassy in Baghdad, the US Consulate in the Kurdistan Region, and other American interests in Iraq have faced dozens of drone and rocket attacks. https://www.shafaq.com/en/society/US-Embassy-seeks-public-help-to-identify-attackers-in-Iraq
Read more: Multiple actors, one battlefield: Iraq since the US-Israel-Iran war began
Italian Journalists Face Harassment In Baghdad
2026-04-09 Shafaq News- Baghdad Members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) harassed two Italian journalists following a dispute over filming in Firdos Square in Baghdad, a police source told Shafaq News on Thursday.
The source said a PMF unit ordered them to stop, leading to a verbal altercation. The confrontation escalated as members of the force grabbed the journalists’ clothing and used abusive language before the situation was brought under control. Italian journalists face harassment in Baghdad - Shafaq News