Narrow-based gains set another year-high
Stocks gained a little ground on the Athens Stock Exchange yesterday, setting a new year-high for the third session running. Trading was again quite thin, but this time only blue chips carried the bourse. The ASE general index closed at 2,771.56 points, a gain of 5.41 points or 0.20 percent. The FTSE/ASE-20 index of blue chips gained 0.38 percent to close at 1,542.22 points, while mid- and small-caps slumped 0.13 percent and 0.58 percent, respectively. Several blue chips once again recorded year-highs. These were Alpha Bank (up 1.42 percent to 25.74 euros), Piraeus Bank (1.10 percent to 12.86 euros), EFG Eurobank Ergasias (1.04 percent to 25.24 euros), OPAP (0.70 percent to 20.06 euros) and National Bank (0.50 percent to 24.32 euros). By contrast, OTE Telecom, having set a record on Monday, declined 1.04 percent to close at 13.30 euros, as investors took profits, while mobile telecommunications firm Cosmote declined marginally, to 14.60 euros, from its year-high of 14.62 euros set on Monday. Of the 352 traded stocks, 111 gained, 158 declined and 84 ended unchanged. Turnover was 99.25 million euros including 10.99 million in prearranged trades.
