FTSE/Athex Large Cap

After six sessions of gains in a row for the benchmark, which took it to a 13-year high, the Greek stock market endured moderate losses on Wednesday, in spite of the spectacular entry of Athens International Airport.

The sixth consecutive session of gains at the Greek stock market brought the benchmark not only to another 13-year high, but also above the 1,400-point mark, on significantly increased daily turnover too. All this was before the entry of the 300 million shares of Athens International Airport, which is scheduled for Wednesday.

The banks index took the lead in Monday's bourse session at Athinon Avenue and took the benchmark to a new 13-year high, close to the 1,400-point landmark. Traders appear convinced that the Greek stock market is about to return to the group of advanced bourses, so they insist on expanding their exposure in it starting from its biggest companies.

The Greek stock market took another step higher on Friday, closing at a new 13-year high for the second day in a row, as the local bourse appears close to shaking off the entire impact of the financial crisis that started in 2010 in Greece.

The performance of the Greek stock market has got everyone reaching for their record books, as the benchmark at Athinon Avenue climbed to its highest point since May 2011 on Thursday. Banks were again the driver of growth, while some blue chips that have recently recorded major gains experienced some profit-taking at the start of the new month.

The main index of the Greek stock market ascended close to this week's decade high on Friday, with traders focusing on certain blue chips, although mid-caps underperformed this time. A report by Alpha Finance on Friday pointed to an increase of 15% to 25% for the benchmark of Athinon Avenue this year. In fact it has already gained 5.24% since the year started.

The stock market at Athinon Avenue came off Wednesday's decade-high to suffer losses on Thursday that were somewhat moderated by the end of the session. Observers noted the intention of investors to sell and secure some liquidity in order to join the public offering of Athens International Airport - a process that began on Thursday.

The rally continued at the Greek stock market on Wednesday, with the benchmark climbing to a new decade-high despite the fragmented picture among blue chips. Eventually the main index advanced thanks to specific buys made among non-bank large-caps. Mid-caps outperformed once again, as traders seek out investment opportunities in underbought stocks.

The Greek stock market managed on Tuesday to hold on to some of its mid-session gains, with the benchmark closing near the decade-high recorded on January 15. Stocks showed a mixed picture, with the gainers narrowly outnumbering decliners, the blue chip index ending with growth and banks posting a small drop.

Bank stocks and a number of other blue chips worked toward a significant increase of the main index at Athinon Avenue on Monday. The benchmark is returning close to its decade highs recorded earlier this month, helped also by mid-caps, which outperformed on the day.