Sales of blue chips push the stock market lower
Stocks declined slightly yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), as investors locked in gains in blue chips. The ASE composite share index closed at 4,722.78 points, a drop of 9.98 points or 0.21 percent. On a weekly basis, it gained 0.73 percent, boosting this year’s gains to 7.48 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index of blue chips declined 0.46 percent to close at 2,564.56 points, while mid- and small-caps gained 0.64 percent and 1.15 percent respectively. The FTSE/Athex International declined 0.30 percent, closing at 6,763.73 points. Eleven out of 17 sectoral indices gained. The top gainers were raw materials (up 3.55 percent), chemicals (1.90 percent) and industrial goods and services (1.50 percent). The top losers were telecommunications (down 2.21 percent), travel and leisure (1.09 percent) and technology (0.45 percent). Among blue chips, the top gainers were jewelry and accessories maker and retailer Folli-Follie (up 4.48 percent to -29.88), metals group Viohalco (2.47 percent to -9.94) and games of chance software and hardware provider Intralot (1.19 percent to -25.60). The top losers were telecommunications firm OTE (down 2.71 percent to -22.30), betting company OPAP (1.84 percent to -26.80) and Emporiki Bank (1.43 percent to -21.98). Turnover reached -517.52 million, including -191.82 million in prearranged trades.
