FTSE

Greek stocks edged higher for a third session in a row, taking the benchmark close to 1,200 points on Tuesday. However, that was not enough to prevent a negative result for October, which closed with monthly losses of 1.34% for the main index. That was the third consecutive month with a decline.

Greek stocks edged higher for a third session in a row, taking the benchmark close to 1,200 points on Tuesday. However, that was not enough to prevent a negative result for October, which closed with monthly losses of 1.34% for the main index. That was the third consecutive month with a decline.

The Greek bourse has entered the week of major companies' third-quarter result announcements, and traders remained rather cautious on Monday, opting to heed the trend set by the rest of the European markets - i.e. slightly upward on reduced turnover. Mid-caps outperformed, with the majority of stocks securing gains at the start of the week.

Friday's mixed session at Athinon Avenue had the blue chip index close in the red, while the majority of stocks managed to drag the benchmark back into the black with the help of a handful of energy blue chips.

Geopolitical concerns and US corporate results weighed on the Greek stock market on Thursday, but the benchmark at Athinon Avenue contained its losses toward the end of the session. This is mainly thanks to the flow of positive corporate developments within Greece in the aftermath of the country regaining investment grade.

Tuesday's session at Athinon Avenue was a one-stock show as it was the first day of trading for Alpha Bank after the major proposal tabled by UniCredit for the Greek lender's stake that bank bailout fund HFSF holds, and the merger of the Italian bank's operations in Romania with those of Alpha. As a result Alpha jumped 12.44%, while most other local stocks registered gains too.

The impact of inflation and rising interest rates on first-half corporate results of listed companies continues to put pressure on stock prices at Athinon Avenue, as the benchmark of the Greek bourse suffered fresh losses on Wednesday.

Tuesday saw the benchmark at Athinon Avenue avoid another decline as it held on to some of its gains and ended the day in the black and on a week-high, albeit on reduced turnover. On Wednesday the Greek bourse is entering the three-day period for the floating of Optima, the first bank to be listed on the Greek stock market since the end of the financial crisis.

The benchmark of the Greek stock market staged an impressive rebound late in Friday's session to come back from 1% down and close with gains of almost 1%. Banks led the way for the recovery of the index, though that was not enough to offset all its weekly losses.

Greek stocks suffered yet another slump on Thursday, with their losses growing as the day progressed, with floods in central Greece and the postponement of the prime minister's speech in Thessaloniki not helping stocks recover. Friday's DBRS Morningstar credit rating report on Greece could change all that.