ATHEX: Soft landing for bourse

Traders had appeared set to cash in recent stock gains at Athinon Avenue on Thursday, but the European Central Bank's announcement that assistance for eurozone member-states would be boosted contained the drop in prices, while the mid-cap index went up.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index ended at 669.79 points, shedding 0.63% from Wednesday's 674.07 points. The large-cap FTSE 25 index contracted 0.87% to 1,611.24 points and mid-caps expanded 0.43%.

The banks index slipped 0.26%. Eurobank fell 1.91% as Alpha grew 0.99% and Piraeus added 0.76%. National stayed put.

Sarantis jumped 4.86% and Aegean Air improved 1.17%, with Fourlis falling 3.59%, Motor Oil declining 2.85% and Hellenic Exchanges parting with 2.19%.

In total 34 stocks posted gains, 62 recorded losses and 20 remained unchanged.

Turnover amounted to 85.1 million euros, down from...