On the Almaty Financial Instrument Exchange (AFINEX) the Tenge closed at 82.80 per dollar last Friday. The price of the Dollar, thus, increased by 40 points since Friday, 13 November. Compared with the previous week, the daily traded volumes increased markedly with a minimum of USD 3,280,00 on Thursday and a maximum of USD 16,815,000 on Friday. (AFINEX)

According to dealers operating on the AFINEX, banks currently benefit from selling cash dollars as their margins are rather high. The demand for currency by banks' clients has increased recently and banks have been very active in buying it on the AFINEX. A recent repayment of syndicated loans by some Kazakhstani banks is seen as another reason for the increased demand for dollars. The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) remains the major seller of currency on the stock exchange. On the interbank currency market, trades are slow. Large banks are choosing to buy currency on the AFINEX as the NBK's rate is lower. (Reuters)