Egypt's stock exchange has closed the first trading day of the week with the benchmark EGX30 down 3.24 per cent at 3,593 points. The bourse had made its strongest gains by the end of last week, gaining 2.7 per cent on Wednesday and Thursday, after fluctuating between losses and mild gains since the US credit downgrade was announced more than two weeks ago. Today, total market turnover hit a higher-than-average level of LE530 million, as the vast majority of shares, more than 150 of the 184 traded, finished down. A full market report will follow shortly.