Blue chips slide but index holds its own
Greek stocks nudged higher for the fourth consecutive session yesterday, reaching a new 91-month high. Interest was centered on mid-caps, while blue chips and small-caps came under pressure. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index was 0.15 percent higher at 5,147.84 points, after rising as high as 5,161. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index was 0.12 percent down at 2,703.04 points, while the FTSE/ATHEX 40 mid-cap index gained 0.23 percent. The FTSE/ATHEX 80 small-cap index declined 0.34 percent. Coca-Cola HBC returned to its recent buoyancy, leading blue chips with gains of 3.19 percent to a new historic high of -41.38, Titan was 1.11 percent higher, Motor Oil advanced 1.08 percent and the Postal Savings Bank added 0.92 percent. Public Power Corporation and Cosmote also advanced to new historic highs, while Hellenic Petroleum, Intralot, OTE and Hellenic Technodomiki also headed north. By contrast, banks ATE and National led blue chip decliners, ending 2.90 percent and 1.43 percent lower respectively. Turnover surged to -781.61 million, of which -424.95 million was in block trades, including the transfer of a 49.9 percent stake in Attica Holdings to Marfin Investment Group, worth -286.1 million.
