The Greek stock market posted fresh gains on Friday, at the end of yet another week of price growth, the seventh in a row, to see its benchmark climb to levels unseen in almost 14 years – i.e. since March 2011. Investors are dismissing any concerns about political instability and are focusing instead on the business landscape that has recently offered several mergers and acquisitions as well as opportunities for investment in mid- and small-caps.
The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,557.83 points, adding 0.86% to Thursday’s 1,544.49 points. On a weekly basis it advanced 0.55%.
The large-cap FTSE-25 index expanded 0.98%, ending at 3,806.31 points and the banks index fetched 0.88%, as Eurobank climbed 1.69%, Alpha grabbed 0.83%, National augmented 0.70%, Optima earned 0.30% and Piraeus obtained 0.25%. Crucially, Coca-Cola HBC rose 2.42%.
In total 61 stocks reported gains, 42 sustained losses and 22 remained unchanged.
Turnover amounted to 130.4 million euros, up from Thursday’s €148.1 million.
In Nicosia, the general index of the Cyprus Stock Exchange increased 0.30% to close at 224.32 points.