Investors hold back, await Q1 results
Stocks eased yesterday as investors nervously peered into a week of first-quarter results from three key Greek blue chips, including bourse heavyweight OTE. OTE, which will report first-quarter results on Thursday, turned higher late in the session to add 0.66 percent to 9.12 euros, ending a seven-session losing streak. The Athens benchmark general index lost 0.09 percent to 1,689.33 points. OTE, mobile operator Vodafone-Panafon – which will report results early tomorrow – and utility PPC, which will report early today, together make up about a quarter of the weighting on the general index. Blue chips eased 0.16 percent to 833.55 points, while mid-caps fell 0.74 percent and small-caps lost 1.55 percent. Turnover eased to 86.78 million euros from Friday’s 104.37 million euros, in part due to the fact that the London Stock Exchange was closed yesterday. A total of 25.3 million shares changed hands. Decliners led advancers 240 to 86. (Reuters)
