Piraeus

An unexpectedly aggressive selling spree by holders of bank stocks on Friday inflicted the heaviest daily selloff in the credit sector in over four months. The impact on the rest of the market was significant as there was hardly any reaction among non-bank stocks.

After five days of gains and the buying fatigue recorded late on Monday, stocks at Athinon Avenue recorded notable losses on Tuesday, bucking the trend seen on other eurozone markets, with turnover remaining low. The next couple of days will determine the direction of the market up to the end of the month.

Stock prices continued their advance on Thursday at Athinon Avenue as buying interest remained strong, helping the market's main index register a six-month high, while turnover climbed to its highest in eight sessions.

There were across-the-board gains at the Athens bourse on Wednesday, led by Public Power Corporation and banks, while trading volume appears to be growing by the day in a clear sign that something is changing in the market that a few years ago was relegated from developed to developing.

The government's scolding by the International Monetary Fund and the Eurogroup at the start of the week came as no surprise to local investors, who set the Greek stock market back on the rising course of the last couple of months on Tuesday, taking the benchmark back above the psychologically important 700-point level.

Local stocks headed south on Thursday in response to economic growth data and news of the possible postponement of the disbursement to Athens of eurozone central banks' profits from Greek bond holdings. Banks outperformed thanks to the European Central Bank's decision to issue a new round of low-cost loans to the eurozone's credit sector, starting this fall.

With the criticism contained in the government's conduct report by the European Commission already priced in, stocks at Athinon Avenue spent most of Wednesday in the red before banks saved the day for the benchmark, helping it to close with minor gains. Turnover continued to shrink.

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.

Representative of Greece's four systemic banks - Alpha, Eurobank, Piraeus, and National Bank of Greece - are holding their second meeting in a week this evening with the government's economic team at the PM's office.

The focus of the meeting will be a new law establishing the framework for the protection of debtors' primary homes from foreclosure.

January ended with monthly gains at the Greek stock market for the first time since August, even though the benchmark posted a slight drop at the end of on Thursday's session, mainly due to declines in the credit sector.