Record turnover sees few gains
Stocks saw most of their gains made during the day wiped out by the end of the session on an unusually busy end of the week yesterday that saw turnover of 204 million euros, a record for 2009. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index rose to 1,754.62 points, up by 0.10 percent from Thursday, which also saw a significant increase to 1,752.81 points from Wednesday’s close at 1,678.72. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index grew by 0.46 percent on the day to close at 891.58 points. Observers note that the market sought to cash in on the week’s gains toward the end of the session. The biggest rises among blue chips were for National Bank (up 4.20 percent), Alpha Bank (3.94 percent), Hellenic Postbank (3.24 percent) and Piraeus Bank (2.26 percent). Heading southward were Public Power Corporation (down 4.11 percent), Titan cement (4.08 percent) and Mytilineos (3.25 percent).
