ATHEX: Third day of gains for benchmark

Stocks grew at Athinon Avenue on Tuesday for a third day in a row, with the benchmark closing on the day's high, as did the banks' index. It was once again the closing auctions that significantly improved the picture on the stock board, and they were responsible for the increased turnover, too. The market is now focusing on the interest rates verdict of the US Fed on Wednesday.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 1,429.79 points, adding 0.43% to Monday's 1,423.61 points. The large-cap FTSE-25 index expanded 0.44%, ending at 3,466.04 points.

The banks index grew 0.46%, on Alpha earning 1.42%, National climbing 1.03% and Piraeus collecting 0.26%, though Eurobank conceded 0.58%. Titan Cement went up 2.65%, Cenergy Holdings advanced 2.08%, Lamda Development augmented 1.97% and Jumbo fetched 1.81%, while EYDAP parted with 1.42%.

In total 49 stocks...