ATHEX: Robust rise continues for banks index

The banks index at Athinon Avenue enjoyed a second consecutive day of gains in excess of 4 percent on Friday, building not only on the advance of the Heracles plan for the securitization of bad loans, but also on the upward momentum observed in foreign stock markets. That also led to the benchmark attaining growth just shy of 2 percent.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended at 855.95 points, adding 1.99 percent to Thursday's 839.22 points. On a weekly basis it grew 3.84 percent.

The large-cap FTSE 25 index expanded 2.16 percent to 2,132.17 points, and the banks index soared 4.42 percent to report weekly gains of just under 10 percent.

National Bank jumped 5.88 percent, Public Power Corporation collected 5.37 percent, Alpha Bank earned 4.55 percent, Ellaktor claimed 4.33 percent, Hellenic Petroleum climbed 4.10 percent and Cenergy Holdings improved 3...