Mid-caps share gains

The Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) general index closed at 2,904.14 points on Friday, a gain of 16.28 points or 0.56 percent on the previous week’s close. The index reached 2,900 points for the first time since early June 2001. Turnover dropped slightly, to 927.29 million euros, an average of 185.46 million per session from the previous week’s average of 195.46 million. Financial Times indices, with the exception of small-caps, which dropped marginally, gained: The FTSE/ASE-20 index of blue chips gained 0.95 percent to close at 1,629.40 points, the FTSE/ASE Mid-40 gained 0.96 percent and the FTSE/ASE Small-Cap 80 dropped 0.01 percent. The composite FTSE/ASE-140 index gained 0.90 percent. The 18 sectoral indices were split exactly in half regarding gains and losses. Top gainers were non-metallic minerals and cement (5.49 percent), retail commerce (4.62 percent) and information technology (4 percent). The biggest losers were construction (2.36 percent), publishing and printing (1.99 percent) and insurance (1.87 percent). Of the 363 individual titles traded, 174 gained, 145 declined and 44 ended unchanged. The biggest gainers were Images and Sound (68 percent), followed by Hellatex (64.71 percent) and Ideal (50 percent). The biggest decliners were G. Leventakis Tex (15.47 percent), followed by Microland Computers (13.04 percent) and the preferred shares of Viosol and Xylemboria (12.50 percent each). The most heavily traded stocks were those of National Bank, with an average turnover of 17.87 million euros per session, OPAP (17.76 million), Piraeus Bank (15.97 million) and OTE (15.54 million).