Collateral news ups stock prices
The local bourse cashed in on news of the European Central Bank’s decision to continue accepting Greek bonds as collateral from banks, while the eurozone’s move to offer a safety net to the government’s fiscal problems, albeit with the support of the International Monetary Fund, was also well received. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 2,147.83 points yesterday, growing by 4.11 percent from Thursday’s close at 2,062.94 points. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index expanded by an impressive 5.55 percent to end at 1,076.18 points. All blue chips registered gains in yesterday’s session with the exception of Coca-Cola HBC (down 2.76 percent). EFG Eurobank outperformed with a 12.68 percent rise, followed by Alpha Bank (up 9.65 percent) and National Bank (8.11 percent). Turnover amounted to 285 million euros.
