ATHEX: Benchmark edges closer to 800 points

The benchmark at Athinon Avenue made it 13 sessions of growth in a row on Tuesday, climbing to a new nine-month high and starting to flirt with the 800-point level. Observers keep speaking of expected profit-taking, but buyers have made it clear they still haven't had their fill of local stocks yet. Banks were again the growth drivers, although the drop seen in mid-caps meant the majority of stocks ended in the red.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended at 791.17 points, adding 0.55% to Monday's 786.85 points. The large-cap FTSE 25 index expanded 0.56% to close at 1,894.67 points, though mid-caps contracted 0.13%.

The banks index advanced 2.17%, as Eurobank grew 2.82% and Alpha earned 2.27%, while Piraeus and National both collected 1.51%.

Aegean Air climbed 4.21%, just as Motor Oil shrank 1.08% and the OPAP gaming company parted with 1.07%.

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