Selective buying pushes index slightly higher
Stocks gained slightly yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), with investors focusing on a few blue chips and mid-caps in an otherwise quiet session. The ASE general index closed at 3,515.62 points, a gain of 7.55 points or 0.22 percent. The FTSE/ASE-20 index of blue chips gained 0.19 percent to close at 1,957.85 points. Mid-caps gained 0.48 percent and small-caps declined 1.27 percent. The biggest gains among blue chips were recorded by cement producer Titan (up 2.87 percent to a year-high of 32.30 euros), construction group Hellenic Technodomiki (2.84 percent to 4.34 euros), Piraeus Bank (1.25 percent to 17.82 euros), National Bank (1.21 percent to 35.10 euros), refiner Hellenic Petroleum (1.19 percent to 11.86 euros), Alpha Bank (0.88 percent to 25.36 euros) and refiner Motor Oil (0.52 percent to 19.28 euros). By contrast, losses were sustained by EFG Eurobank (down 2.10 percent to 27.10 euros), telecoms equipment manufacturer Intracom (1.98 percent to 4.94 euros), ATEBank (1.26 percent to 4.70 euros), betting company OPAP (0.30 percent to 26.30 euros) and mobile telecoms service provider Cosmote (0.22 percent to 18.56 euros). Of 326 traded stocks, 100 gained, 153 declined and 73 ended unchanged. Turnover reached 189 million euros, including 28.01 million in prearranged trades.
