Greek shares edge back, but stay close to two-month highs
Greek shares edged back in early trading on Monday, after having made a strong recovery over the last week that took Athens’ benchmark equity index back to its highest level in around two months.
Athens’ benchmark ATG equity index, which had risen 5.6 percent on Friday, slipped back by 4.4 percent on Monday.
The Athens Stock Exchange FTSE Banks Index, which had also risen 12.7 percent on Friday, fell 8.3 percent.
Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said in a radio interview on Monday that he was not very optimistic that Greece and its euro zone partners would reach a debt agreement at a meeting in Brussels later in the day.
Greece’s finance minister and his euro zone peers, together with European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, will discuss on Monday how to proceed with Greece’s bailout programme, which runs out on Feb. 28. Talks are expected to begin at 1400 GMT.
[Reuters]
