Bank of Greece

 State will have to draw an additional 4.5-5.5 bln euros, which banks can only access through the mechanism

By Sotiris Nikas

Greek banks will require additional liquidity amounting to 4.5-5.5 billion euros in February and March to cover scheduled and extraordinary issues of treasury bills ? in other words, the cash needs of the state.

By Stathis Kousounis

Greek tourism enjoyed a golden year in 2014, as both arrivals and revenues reached an all-time high, according to provisional figures for the period from January to November released on Wednesday by the Bank of Greece.

By Nikos Roussanoglou

Greek property prices posted the biggest drop in the entire European Union in the third quarter of 2014, according to Eurostat figures published on Wednesday in Brussels. The data reflected the picture shown by a Bank of Greece survey, which pointed to a 7 percent yearly decline in the July-September period.

The European Central Bank has approved an emergency funding line for Greek banks to be provided via the country's central bank, a banking source told Reuters on Wednesday.

Last week, tightening liquidity ahead of a national election on Jan. 25 prompted the Bank of Greece to ask the ECB to approve a so-called emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) line for Greece's top banks.

Emerging from a briefing on Tuesday by Bank of Greece Governor and Former Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras in Athens, the leader of To Potami, currently polling in third place at 6-7 percent for the January 25 elections, said that the situation with the Greek economy "appears difficult but under control."

By George Georgiopoulos

Greece's central bank has moved to protect its banks from any fallout from the coming general election, asking the European Central Bank to approve a stand-by domestic emergency funding line, a Bank of Greece official said on Saturday.

 Alpha and Eurobank are the other two to have applied for use of the mechanism that secures cash flow

By Yiannis Papadoyiannis

Pressure on banks ? stemming from news that Greek lenders are resorting to emergency liquidity assistance from the Bank of Greece ? and across the market ? from statements by candidates in next weekend?s election ? led the benchmark back below the 800-point mark on increased turnover on Friday.

By Stathis Kousounis & Alexandra Kassimi

To Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis suggested on Thursday that he would go all out to prevent Greece needing a second election by working to form a coalition if no party receives a parliamentary majority on January 25.