National leads rebound of stocks
Stocks on the Greek bourse registered a considerable correction last week, as they showed gains for four consecutive days over the past week. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index broke the 2,000-point level with a 19.20 percent weekly rise, closing last Friday at 2,060.31 points. The rebound, in line with that on international markets, is mostly attributed to the meteoric rise of National Bank stock (up 43.94 percent). Today the stock exchange is launching the new FTSE/ATHEX Liquid Mid and FTSE/ATHEX-CSE Banking stock indices. The new indices will be calculated daily, in real time, and will be reviewed every April and October. The FTSE/ATHEX Liquid Mid index will comprise the most liquid stocks taken from the FTSE/ATHEX Mid 40 constituents, according to clean trade value, offering a lower cost of trading for investors wishing greater exposure to the mid-cap segment of the Athens bourse. On Friday, the country’s securities watchdog extended a ban on short-selling on the Athens stock exchange to December 31. (Reuters, Kathimerini)
