Stocks rise 1 percent, MPB dives
Despite getting off to a negative start yesterday, the Athens bourse gained almost 1 percent, supported by gains in Alpha Bank and EFG Eurobank. The Athens bourse’s benchmark general index added 0.96 percent to 1,518.64 points, ending close to a session high of 1,520 points. The blue chip FTSE/ATHEX 20 index added 0.65 percent to 728.16 points. The mid-cap FTSE/ATHEX 40 index eased 0.87 percent. Among the best performers were Alpha Bank, which rose 3.4 percent to 4.74 euros, and EFG Eurobank, which gained 2.61 percent to 4.33 euros. Marfin Popular Bank (MPB) tumbled 6.34 percent to 1.33 euros. On Monday, it announced plans to boost its share capital by 1.1 billion euros via a rights issue and convertible bond sale. Turnover reached 92.4 million euros versus 123.5 million previously.
