Total capitalization of ATHEX exceeds 200 bln
Buoyant blue chips drove Greek stocks still higher for the eighth consecutive session yesterday. Mid- and small-caps also advanced. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed near the day’s high, at 5,247.34 points, with gains of 0.85 percent. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index added 0.70 percent. The FTSE/ATHEX 40 mid-cap index was 0.90 percent higher and the FTSE/ATHEX 80 small-cap index ended up 0.37 percent. The FTSE/ATHEX International gained 0.71 percent. Coca-Cola HBC led blue chips, advancing 2.92 percent to -40.88 after HSBC raised its target price to -43 from -36 with a neutral rating. Viohalco climbed 2.88 percent, Intralot advanced 2.78 percent, while Eurobank and Bank of Cyprus added 2.50 percent each. Public Power Corporation, Motor Oil, Hellenic Technodomiki, Cosmote, OTE, Alpha Bank and National Bank also saw gains. By contrast, Piraeus Bank dropped 2 percent and Hellenic Petroleum shed 1.58 percent. Titan, for which UBS cut its target price to -37.80 from -43.50 with a neutral rating, Emporiki Bank and Postal Savings Bank were also lower. Turnover rose to -587.89 million, of which -222.18 million was in block trades, including 8.23 million Bank of Cyprus shares sold by by Marfin Popular Bank at -12.70 each. The total capitalization of the ATHEX rose above -200 billion.
