Small rebound after gov’t move
The local bourse contained its weekly losses with a moderate rise yesterday but could not sustain the daily gains it had posted during the session. Government efforts to bolster the market after Thursday’s dramatic decline only had limited effect. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index rebounded to 2,257.43 points yesterday, increasing by 1.44 percent from Thursday’s close at 2,225.32 points. Still, at mid-session it had risen by up to 3.35 percent, just under the 2,300-point mark. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index gained 1.79 percent to end at 1,173.93 points. Marfin Popular Bank outperformed blue chips, with a 7.18 rise, ahead of Piraeus Bank (up 6.56 percent), Hellenic Postbank (4.74 percent) and Bank of Cyprus (4.65 percent). Shares that fell included ATEbank (2.67 percent) and Hellaktor (2.60 percent). Turnover amounted to 387.7 million euros.
