A few blue chips get lion’s share of turnover
Spurred by a positive mood in foreign markets, notably Wall Street, investors gave Greek stocks a lift yesterday, boosting turnover mainly in blue chips and mid-caps. The Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) benchmark index rose 1.48 percent to 3,663.58 points. All sectoral indices but one gained, led by utility services which were 2.82 percent higher. The blue chip FTSE/ASE 20 index was 1.48 percent higher; the FTSE/ASE Mid-40 added 1.44 percent and the FTSE/ASE Small-Cap 80 gained 0.49 percent. Gaming firm OPAP led blue chip winners with gains of 3.07 percent, while the Public Power Corporation, cement firm Titan and National Bank all climbed more than 2 percent. OTE, Viohalco and Intracom added more than 1.70 percent each. In contrast, Emporiki and Hyatt declined 0.48 percent and 0.18 percent respectively. Despite the improved mood yesterday, most market players remain cautious, waiting for the announcement of first-half results, beginning with Alpha Bank, Titan and Piraeus Bank. Technically, the picture remains the same, with the next resistance barrier for the benchmark seen at around 3,697-3,710 points. Turnover rose to 257.37 million euros, with 140 million accounted for OPAP, National Bank, OTE and Hyatt.
