Election atmosphere adds to lackluster mood
A subdued mood marked trading on the Athens bourse yesterday, with professionals noting that the pre-election atmosphere added to nervousness. Foreign markets had a mixed picture. The benchmark Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at the day’s low, with a loss of 0.32 percent at 4.823.04 points, after rising to 4,860 points. Only two of 17 sectoral indices, banks and personal and household products, headed north. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index was down 0.27 percent to 2,561.78 points. The respective mid-cap and small-cap indices declined 0.18 percent and 1.09 percent respectively. The FTSE/ATHEX International was down 0.26 percent. Two banks, Alpha and Eurobank, led blue chip winners with 1.80 and 1.06 percent respectively. Emporiki Bank and Intralot also ended in positive territory. By contrast, Viohalco continued tumbling, shedding 3.88 percent, OTE slumped 2.90 percent and Hellenic Petroleum dropped 1.36 percent, partly due to trading ex-dividend. Banks ATE, National and Piraeus and Titan Cement were unchanged. Telecoms and industrial products and services were the hardest-hit sectoral indices, dropping 2.29 percent and 2.01 percent respectively. Turnover rose to -325.63 million, of which -60.12 million was in block trades.
