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For the first time in over 18 months, the benchmark of the Greek stock market completed a fifth consecutive week of gains - even if Friday's session ended with minor losses on the day. The gains registered by most non-banking blue chips made up for the profit taking observed, especially in banks.

Energy stocks led the way and banks recovered in time to help the benchmark revert to gains in Wednesday's session at Athinon Avenue and end near the day's high, albeit on the lowest daily turnover this week.

The increasing realization that the general elections will probably take place earlier than scheduled and the continued slide in bond yields powered bank stocks to major gains on Monday, driven by National and Piraeus. Trading volume improved too.

The 4.90 percent decline of Coca-Cola HBC, the Greek stock with the highest capitalization, weighed on both the benchmark and the blue chip index on Thursday, despite gains in banks. Trading volume is slowly improving.

The benchmark of the Greek stock market was spared ending in the red by the closing auctions again on Thursday, reversing its earlier losses and leading to a fifth consecutive day of gains.

The start of the new year on the Greek stock market gave traders little to cheer about, with the majority of stocks ending on the losing side and turnover failing even to make the 20-million-euro level, as the Athens bourse appeared to affected by the downbeat mood prevailing across most of Europe.

Greek stocks presented a mixed picture on Friday as Athinon Avenue closed for Christmas, with the benchmark ending lower for the sixth session in a row while the banks and mid-caps indexes posted gains for the first time in more than a week.

The negative mood among domestic and foreign investors alike saw Greek stocks posting fresh losses at the start of the week, with the decline accelerating when European bourses headed south. The rather unexpected jump in Greek bond yields also contributed toward the stock drop.

Greek stocks lost all the gains registered earlier in the day and then some, completing a sixth consecutive southbound session for the benchmark at Athinon Avenue on Tuesday.

Traders reaped on Tuesday some of the gains recorded in the last three sessions at Athinon Avenue (when the benchmark added almost 9.4 percent), while selling moves were moderated compared to the agressive action seen in previous weeks.