Correction hits blue chips, spares small-caps
Stocks declined yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), following other European markets. Selling pressure concentrated on blue chips, with medium and small-capitalization firms resisting the trend. The ASE composite share price index closed at 3,955.67 points, a decline of 38.39 points or 0.96 percent. During the session it reached a low of 3,932.81 points. The FTSE/Athex 20 index of blue chips declined 1.10 percent to close at 2,172.52 points, while mid-caps and small-caps gained 0.12 percent and 0.53 percent, respectively. The FTSE/Athex International index declined 0.87 percent to close at 5,425.05 points. The only blue chips posting gains were betting company OPAP (2.24 percent to 30.98 euros) and jewelry maker and retailer Folli-Follie (0.08 percent to 25.30 euros). Among the rest, the biggest losses were sustained by EFG Eurobank (2.72 percent to 30.70 euros), refiner Motor Oil (2.40 percent to 22.80 euros), National Bank (2.06 percent to 38 euros), Piraeus Bank (2.04 percent to 19.20 euros), mobile telecommunications service provider Cosmote (1.93 percent to 19.30 euros) and Emporiki Bank (1.57 percent to 29.66 euros). Of 325 traded shares, 89 gained, 191 declined and 45 ended unchanged. Turnover reached 358.27 million euros, including 54.5 million in prearranged trades.
