Mixed picture on local bourse

The Athens stock exchange presented a mixed picture yesterday with the majority of stocks that moved going up, though the main index declined due to significant selling of bank shares. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,834.31 points yesterday, dropping by 0.20 percent from Tuesday. At some point it had even posted gains of 0.83 percent but these had evaporated by the end of the session. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index contracted by 0.31 percent to end at 948.45 points, although the small- and mid-cap indices registered a moderate rise. The biggest increase among blue chips was for Hellaktor (up 2.35 percent) and Public Power Corporation (2.13 percent). Worst off were the stocks of Intralot (down 4.74 percent), Piraeus Bank (3.49 percent) and Hellenic Petroleum (2.55 percent). Turnover came to just 127 million euros.