CAIRO, 5 April 2004 — Egyptian steel companies and some other stocks expected to benefit from an improvement in Egypt’s real estate sector helped lead the stock market to a more than four-year closing high yesterday. Media Production City (MPC) was another stronger gainer, rising 4.2 percent as one trader cited talk that the firm was shortly to list on the Dubai bourse. The stock last traded up 0.81 Egyptian pounds (0.13) at 20 pounds. The official weighted close was 20.14 pounds. Overall, the benchmark Hermes index was last quoted up 185.53 points, or 1.3 percent, at 14,413.65 points, its highest close since February 2000. The broader CIBC index was last quoted up 0.72 points at 88.77 points.