ATHEX: April closes with gains of 12.5 percent

April ended at the Greek stock market on Thursday with some profit taking by traders who cashed in on this week’s rise by specific stocks such as banks. Despite that daily drop, April closed with a 12.54 percent advance for the benchmark, to become the first month this year with an increase for the bourse.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended at 628.25 points, shedding 2.13 percent from Wednesday’s 641.94 points. On a weekly basis it grew 3.61 percent.

The large-cap FTSE 25 index contracted 2.07 percent to 1,525.21 points and the banks index declined 4.90 percent.

Viohalco fell 6.20 percent, Eurobank decreased 5.95 percent, Motor Oil lost 5.83 percent, ADMIE Holdings gave up 5.09 percent, Piraeus Bank shrank 4.84 percent, National Bank parted with 4.69 percent, Titan Cement eased 4.25 percent and Alpha dropped 4.03 percent. EYDAP rose 2.57 percent.

In total 31 stocks reported gains, 79 suffered losses and 18 closed without a change.

Turnover amounted to 57.8 million euros, up from Wednesday’s 55.1 million.

The bourse will remain closed on Friday in observance of the May Day holiday and reopen on Monday, May 4.

In Nicosia, the general index of the Cyprus Stock Exchange increased 0.59 percent to close at 49.51 points.