Trade thins but blue chips stay northbound
Greek stocks yesterday continued mocking persistent expectations of a correction, edging closer to the 4,700-point barrier, but with much thinner trade. The Athens Stock Exchange general index was up 0.14 percent at 4,695.04 points. The blue chip FTSE/ASE 20 gained 0.11 percent, the FTSE/ASE Mid-40 edged down 0.02 percent and the FTSE/ASE Small-Cap 80 added just 0.06 percent. Construction group Hellenic Technodomiki stole the show among blue chips, advancing 2.91 percent. Motor Oil added 1.07 percent and Cosmote rose 2.10 percent. Piraeus Bank gained 1.04 percent and the Postal Savings Bank was up 1.02 percent, both rising to new historic highs. Folli-Follie, Titan, Intralot, Public Power Corporation, Viohalco and banks Alpha and National also gained. By contrast, Hellenic Petroleum lost 1.25 percent, OPAP was down 0.94 percent and OTE slipped 0.78 percent. ATEbank, Eurobank and Coca-Cola HBC remained unchanged. Eight of the 17 sectoral indices headed north, led by chemicals (up 2.76 percent). Banks were up 0.13 percent. Media led decliners, losing 2.22 percent. Insurance and telecoms were unchanged. Turnover totaled -289.66 million, of which 71.43 million was accounted for banks National and Marfin Popular.
