New year-high is set in session of heavy trading
Stocks gained again yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), ending at a level last seen on December 15, 2000. The ASE general index closed at 3,629.98 points, a gain of 26.19 points or 0.73 percent. On a weekly basis, it gained 3.34 percent, raising the year’s gains to 30.29 percent. The FTSE/ASE-20 index of blue chips gained 0.84 percent to close at 2,014.72 points, while mid- and small-caps gained 1.42 percent and 0.11 percent respectively. The top gainers among blue chips were National Bank (up 3.18 percent to 36.96 euros), cement producer Titan (2.99 percent to 34.44 euros), construction group Hellenic Technodomiki (2.62 percent to 4.68 euros), EFG Eurobank (2.47 percent to 27.40 euros), Emporiki Bank (2.29 percent to 25.88 euros) and electricity company PPC (1.24 percent to 18 euros). By contrast, losses were sustained by betting company OPAP (down 2.62 percent to 28.24 euros) and refiner Hellenic Petroleum (1.15 percent to 12 euros). Of the 331 traded shares, 156 gained, 122 declined and 53 ended unchanged. Turnover reached 361.95 million euros, including 70.87 million in prearranged trades, the biggest of which was the transfer of 6.3 million shares of Hellenic Technodomiki, 6 million of them sold at 4.48 euros and the rest at 4.56 euros per share.
