Riga - The three Baltic stock exchanges ended the week quietly Friday, with relatively small movements recorded at the close of trading.

The NASDAQ OMX Tallinn exchange in Estonia was up 0.31 per cent, the Vilnius exchange in Lithuania was down 1.35 per cent and the Riga exchange in Latvia dipped by 
0.59 per cent.

The Baltic Benchmark Index (BBI), which includes data from all three exchanges, closed down 0.26 per cent at 273.18.

Riga - The three Baltic stock exchanges stayed fairly flat
Thursday in a day of thin trading, but a pharmaceutical company
provided some cheer.

The NASDAQ OMX Tallinn exchange in Estonia was down 1.76 per cent,
the Vilnius exchange in Lithuania was down 1.13 per cent and the Riga
exchange in Latvia rose by a marginal 0.12 per cent.

The Baltic Benchmark Index (BBI), which includes data from all three exchanges, closed down 1.45 per cent at 273.9.

Most notable company news of the day came from Latvian

Riga- Young mothers staged a protest for increased child support Thursday outside the Latvian parliament building, while doctors went on strike and the government wrestled with next year's budget.

Several dozen young mothers with an assortment of prams, pushchairs and carry-cots gathered outside the Latvian parliament holding banners saying "What can you buy for eight lats a month?" and "While MPs are full of cash, children have nothing!"

Eight lats (14 dollars) is the current monthly allowance paid to mothers of children up to the age of three.

Riga - Citizens of the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be able to travel to the United States without visas from November 17, a senior US official said Wednesday.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff confirmed the date while visiting Riga. The announcement comes a day after making a similar announcement in Bratislava and two days after doing so in Prague.

"I am pleased to tell Latvians today that the first day of the new programme will be November 17, which is the day before Latvia's independence day, so it's a great opportunity to celebrate," Chertoff told reporters.

Riga - The three small Baltic stock exchanges stayed in positive territory Wednesday, with some excitement sparked by news of a takeover of a Lithuanian ceramic tile manufacturer.

Trading in the company, Dvarcioniu Keramika, was temporarily suspended after its price soared on the back of news that majority shareholder Cersanit, a Polish maker of bathroom furniture, would implement a mandatory takeover.

At the end of the day, Dvarcioniu Keramika shares had gained more than 26 per cent in value.

The NASDAQ OMX Tallinn exchange was up 0.43 per cent, Vilnius was up 1.77 per cent, and Riga enjoyed a 3.57 per cent rise.

Riga - There was a sting in the tail of this week's trading on the small Baltic stock exchanges Friday when prices dropped sharply in response to big falls on the world's main exchanges.

All three Baltic stock exchanges were down significantly at the close of trading, crushing hopes that the worst of the financial downturn might be over in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.