Blue chips attract buyers but other stocks suffer
The month’s last session of the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) was a two-speed one, with investor interest focusing on blue chips, while other stocks suffered. The ASE general index ended at 2,314.26 points, a rise of 6.71 points or 0.25 percent. The FTSE/ASE-20 index of blue chips gained 0.46 percent, to 1,238.01 points. Mid- and small-caps declined 0.52 percent and 0.48 percent respectively. Blue chips that gained included National Bank, up 1.35 percent to 17.98 euros; Alpha Bank, which rose 0.81 percent to 20 euros; EFG Eurobank, up 0.67 percent to 18 euros; the Public Power Corporation, up 0.82 percent to 19.74 euros; CosmOTE, up 0.76 percent to 13.28 euros; and Titan, up 0.60 percent to 20.10 euros. On the other hand, OTE dropped 1.33 percent to 10.38 euros. And Intracom and Hellenic Petroleum also declined. Listed companies showed an average profit gain of about 15 percent at parent-company level and 32 percent at group level during the first half of the year, analysts said. Of the 354 stocks traded yesterday, 103 gained, 175 declined and 76 ended unchanged. Turnover jumped to 74.38 million euros, including 3.2 million in prearranged transfers of share blocks.
