ATHEX: Stock market session with a sting in tail

The Athens bourse spent almost the entire session on Wednesday showing benchmark and blue-chip gains, only for sellers to reverse the trend in the closing auctions, wiping out the advances. Nevertheless, growing stocks outnumbered decliners.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended at 765.89 points, shedding just 0.03 percent from Tuesday's 766.13 points. The large-cap FTSE-25 index contracted 0.39 percent to 2,004.26 points, but mid-caps expanded 0.91 percent.

The banks index advanced 0.27 percent, with Piraeus jumping 1.76 percent, National growing 1.68 percent and Alpha adding 0.10 percent. Eurobank conceded 1.48 percent.

Viohalco was the day's champion, improving 5.38 percent, followed by PPC (up 4.33 percent) and GEK Terna (3.23 percent). OPAP fell 2 percent and Hellenic Petroleum gave up 1.92 percent.

In total 53 stocks notched up gains, 40...