Shortened week ends with slide in blue chips
Stocks lost ground yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), as several blue chips came under downward pressure. The ASE composite share price index closed at 4,199.11 points, a drop of 32.49 points or 0.77 percent. On a weekly basis, it gained 0.25 percent. It has risen 14.61 percent since January 1. The market will be closed today and Monday. The FTSE/ASE 20 index of blue chips declined 1.21 percent to close at 2,270.05 points, although mid- and small-caps gained 0.45 percent and 0.26 percent respectively. The FTSE/Athex International index declined 0.91 percent, closing at 5,858.77 points. Blue chips that bucked the trend and gained included ATEbank (up 1.53 percent to 5.30 euros), refiner Hellenic Petroleum (1.31 percent to 12.38 euros) and technology holding company Intracom (0.93 percent to 6.52 euros). By contrast, significant losses were sustained by Alpha Bank (down 2.87 percent to 31.80 euros), betting company OPAP (2.83 percent to 29.54 euros), National Bank (1.85 percent to 39.24 euros) and telecommunications company OTE (1.42 percent to 18 euros). Out of 306 traded shares, 127 gained, 124 declined and 55 ended unchanged. Turnover reached 276.38 million euros, including 24.33 million in prearranged trades.
