ATHEX: Minor drop this week for bourse index

The Greek stock market ended the pre-election period with moderate gains as traders chose to position themselves carefully in certain blue chips at the conclusion of a week of small losses for the benchmark at Athinon Avenue. Next week, the final of the year’s first half, is expected to display the market’s reaction to a more or less priced-in result of Sunday’s polls and government formation, with turnover expected to grow.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,268.71 points, adding 0.45% to Thursday’s 1,263.03 points. On a weekly basis it declined 0.69%.

The large-cap FTSE-25 index expanded 0.37% to end at 3,062.60 points and the banks index advanced 0.49%.

Viohalco earned 2.74%, Alpha Bank grabbed 1.90% and Sarantis climbed 1.46%, while National Bank gave up 1.71%.

In total 60 stocks produced gains, 40 sustained losses and 22 remained unchanged.

Turnover was the highest of the week, amounting to 130.1 million euros, up from Thursday’s €105.4 million.

In Nicosia, the general index of the Cyprus Stock Exchange decreased 0.25% to close at 117.19 points.