ATHEX: Stock index continues to head lower

Signs displayed by some stocks that there might be a rebound of the Greek bourse on Thursday proved to be short-lived, with the benchmark reverting to red and staying there up to the session's closing, before Friday's closure for the month, the MSCI index restructuring and the verdict by Fitch on the Greek credit rating. In general, Athinon Avenue posted a mixed picture after days of decline toward a new month-low for the main index.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,439.92 points, shedding 0.16% from Wednesday's 1,442.21 points. The large-cap FTSE-25 index contracted 0.24%, ending at 3,482.70 points.

The banks index gave up 0.28%, as Alpha dropped 2.42% and Piraeus slipped 0.25%, while Eurobank advanced 0.74% and National earned 0.04%. Viohalco collected 2.66% and Cenergy Holdings rose 2.24%, but Coca-Cola HBC eased 2.75% and Ellaktor parted with...