ATHEX: Quiet end to a week of gains on the bourse

The anticipation of the start of talks between the government and the country's creditors next week, as well as the long weekend - that saw many traders cut their week short - resulted in a particularly quiet session on the local stock market on Friday, with a mixed picture dominated by sliding banks and rising small-caps.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 645.37 points, shedding 0.64 percent from Thursday's 649.52 points. On a weekly basis it expanded 0.92 percent.

The large-cap FTSE 25 index contracted 0.82 percent to end at 1,727.41 points, but small-caps posted a remarkable 2.61 percent increase.

The banks index surrendered 2.22 percent, with Alpha giving up 3.43 percent, Piraeus dropping 2.19 percent and National conceding 1.24 percent. PPC advanced 1.87 percent as Sarantis decreased 2.82 percent and OPAP fell 2 percent.

In total 54...