Intracom leads index back over 2,100 pts
Equities ended higher yesterday, boosted over the 2,100-point mark by late-session buying in battered blue chip stocks like telecoms equipment maker Intracom. Intracom advanced 1.87 percent to 7.64 euros, outperforming the Athens benchmark general index. It clung to gains early in the session after a more than 11-percent slide to year-lows over the past week over first-half earnings concerns. The company said on Saturday that group pretax profit dropped 23 percent to 52 million euros, slightly below market expectations. The general index gained 0.24 percent to 2,104.62 points after trading in negative territory – to an intra-session low of 2,075 points – for much of the session. The FTSE/ASE-20 index of blue chip stocks rose 0.39 percent to 1,074.79 points. Mid-caps gained 0.71 percent, with small-caps up 0.38 percent. Turnover was 69.20 million euros on 13.9 million shares traded. Winners beat losers 165 to 142 while 46 shares were unchanged on 353 traded. (Reuters) Civil servants’ discontent