Sarantis

The Greek stock market failed to follow the cool reaction of most other eurozone bourses to events in Israel over the weekend, and suffered losses on Monday that were somewhat moderated toward the end.

Concerns abroad about a delay in the start of interest rate reductions by the Fed in the US were partly offset by the positive corporate results that are being issued at the Greek stock market, thereby containing the decline on Thursday at Athinon Avenue for most stocks on the board. Nevertheless, the daily turnover was the lowest of the last 11 sessions.

Stocks continued their decline on Wednesday at the Greek stock market, led by banks, which had traders cashing in some of the last few weeks' gains. Turnover was significantly reduced compared to Tuesday. 

A short trading week of just three days has started at the Greek stock market with a moderate decline for the benchmark and the majority of stocks, though a number of blue chips responded to pressure and rebounded. Turnover also showed signs of significant recovery on Tuesday, after one more long weekend and ahead of another.

The Greek stock market rebounded on Wednesday, driven mainly by Piraeus Bank and other lenders, but the daily turnover showed a significant decrease from the previous days, which is partly explained by the simultaneous reopening of a state bond.

The March triple witching sent the bourse's turnover soaring to over 350 million euros on Friday, while the benchmark grabbed some more ground, all but offsetting the major losses it had suffered on Monday. That meant the week closed with small losses, for the first time after seven weeks of growth.

The benchmark of the Greek stock market on Wednesday recovered some more of the ground it had lost on Monday, but narrowly missed out on retopping 1,400 points. Turnover remained high for another day as the local bourse edges month after month closer to being readmitted to the group of developed markets.

Investors reacted to Monday's major drop on the Greek stock market and on Tuesday they granted non-bank stocks some recovery, although bank stocks remained under pressure.

The seventh consecutive week of gains for the benchmark of the Greek stock market closed on Friday with a mixed session that saw rising stocks edge out losers by the narrowest of margins. The corporate results published in the current period also played a part, sending each stock concerned in different directions.

In anticipation of the Piraeus Bank placement next week, the Greek stock market had a rather quiet day on Friday, at the closing of another week of gains for the main index at Athinon Avenue, the sixth in a row. The blue chip index and that of banks headed lower on the day, while the majority of stocks and the mid-cap index ended up with gains.