Small-caps continue to attract healthy interest
Small-caps continued gains yesterday as interest in blue chips and mid-caps remained subdued, reflected in minimal volatility and thin trade. The Athens Stock Exchange benchmark was up 0.27 percent at 3,816.79 points. The blue chip FTSE/ASE 20 index was up 0.31 percent, the FTSE/ASE Mid-40 was unchanged and the FTSE/ASE Small-Cap 80 added 0.77 percent. Most sectoral indices headed north, led by health and telecoms with respective gains of 1.80 percent and 1.52 percent. Technology declined most (-1.46 percent). Banks added 0.20 percent. Among blue chips, OTE outperformed by advancing 1.82 percent, Coca-Cola recovered most of Thursday’s considerable losses by adding 1.17 percent, and National Bank was up 0.98 percent. Titan, Folli Follie, Cosmote and Hellenic Technodomiki also gained while ATEbank, Eurobank, Piraeus Bank, Germanos and Hyatt were unchanged. In contrast, Viohalco, Public Power Corporation and Intracom lost more than 1 percent. Duty Free Shops, OPAP, Motor Oil, Hellenic Petroleum, Alpha Bank and Emporiki were also down. Turnover totaled 162.1 million euros. Next week’s four trading sessions are expected to be affected by the maturity of August futures contracts.