Fourlis Holdings

Athinon Avenue had another mixed session on Wednesday, with the benchmark closing virtually unchanged, while mid- and small-caps improved their end-of-year picture, with gainers outnumbering losers by a ratio of almost three-to-one overall.

The Greek bourse benchmark climbed on Friday to highs unseen since late February after its 11th consecutive day of gains, which were quite handsome too, on the day the third-quarter growth data were issued. Likewise, the Greek benchmark 10-year bond yield reached a new low on Friday, at 0.626 percentage points.

The profit-taking recorded during Wednesday's bourse session was not enough to avert another day of growth for the benchmark at Athinon Avenue, which has risen to a new nine-month high thanks to the advance of banks and a handful of other blue chips.

The Greek stock market appears determined to stretch its November momentum through to the end of the month, as it enjoyed significant gains on Thursday that took its benchmark to a new eight-month high.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended at 726.92 points, adding 3.08% to Wednesday's 705.21 points. The large-cap FTSE 25 index expanded 3.34% to close at 1,725.52 points.

The international buying spree that on Tuesday took the Dow Jones over 30,000 points in New York contributed to the Greek bourse's main index holding its ground and putting some distance between it and the 700-point mark, despite the profit-taking recorded by most bank stocks.

After a session of ups and downs, buyers retained the upper hand in the closing auctions at the Greek stock market on Friday and pushed the benchmark into the black after three consecutive days of losses.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended at 646.80 points, adding 0.29% to Thursday's 644.90 points. On a weekly basis it declined 5.36%.

The Greek securities markets are showing a shift from stocks to bonds, as confidence in the state's solvency is growing while the private sector is facing multiple problems. On the same day the benchmark of Athinon Avenue suffered minor losses and banks dipped to new lows, the Greek 10-year bond continued its rally, with its yield dropping to 1.73% on Thursday.

Bank stocks led the Greek bourse to a day of healthy gains, with the benchmark climbing above the 610-point mark, although daily turnover still left much to be desired. After Thursday's European Union summit, traders are anticipating Friday's verdict on the Greek economy by Standard & Poor's and DBRS Morningstar.

The pendulum at Athinon Avenue swung deep into the red on Wednesday, along with most other eurozone market, while traders had one eye fixed on the auction of the new seven-year bond. Thursday's session will be the last before the Easter holidays.

After a particularly quiet session on the Greek bourse, with the lowest turnover of the last four-and-a-half months, the benchmark at Athinon Avenue ended its four-day rising streak on Monday with a slight decline, mainly due to the bank losses.