Market breaks 3,500 points for a year-high
Stocks gained yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange, reaching over 3,500 points for the first time since early December 2000. The ASE general index closed at 3,509.20 points, a gain of 22.68 points or 0.65 percent. On a weekly basis, it gained 2.54 percent, pushing the year’s gains to 25.95 percent. The FTSE/ASE-20 index of blue chips gained 0.59 percent to close at 1,969.69 points, while mid-caps and small-caps gained 0.27 percent and 0.21 percent, respectively. Among blue chips, significant gains were posted by refiner Hellenic Petroleum (2.94 percent to 11.90 euros), mobile telecommunications service provider Cosmote (1.80 percent to 18.06 euros), Alpha Bank (1.63 percent to 26.24 euros) and Public Power Corporation (1.08 percent to 18.68 euros). By contrast, losses were sustained by ATEBank (1.21 percent to 4.92 euros), OTE (0.89 percent to 17.88 euros) and betting company OPAP (0.31 percent to 25.90 euros). Of 325 traded stocks, 135 gained, 131 declined and 59 ended unchanged. Turnover reached 215.93 million euros, including 21.31 million in prearranged trades. The most heavily traded shares, by value, were OPAP (27.63 million), Alpha Bank (23.57 million), OTE (21.81 million), National Bank (21.09 million) and EFG Eurobank (13.64 million).
