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A late rally of bank stocks and a few other blue chips offset the losses the benchmark had incurred during most of Wednesday's session to end in the green, although losers outnumbered climbers. Reports of convergence between government ministers and creditors' representatives in Brussels played a major part in that late surge.

The losses sustained by bank stocks at the start of the trading week weighed on the Greek bourse benchmark in what was a rather nervous session in view of Monday's Eurogroup meeting. As a result, the main index ended lower, even though most other blue chips posted gains.

The downward revision of the economy's fourth-quarter results by statistics agency ELSTAT increased uncertainty at the local bourse on Monday, leading to the third consecutive session of losses for its benchmark, albeit not to the extent one might have expected considering the problems in the bailout review and the warning from Moody's.

A Der Spiegel magazine report suggesting the International Monetary Fund plans to enter the Greek bailout program with up to 5 billion euros, offered a boost to Greek stocks at the end of the week, leading to significant gains across the board on the local bourse.

The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) general index closed at 639.46 points, adding 1.60 percent to Thursday's 629.36 points.

“There was an invisible hand because there are differences between the drafts – ‘Proto Thema’ is paying its loans, is a good customer of the banks, there is no evidence of mismanagement of its loans – The Themos Anastasiades case has nothing to do with what this Committee is investigating”

Traders showed on Monday they are not willing to make any major moves before Thursday's Eurogroup meeting, with stocks showing hardly any movement at the start of the week, and trading volume falling even lower than on previous days.

The slightly increased chances of an agreement between Athens and Greece's lenders, thanks to Eurostat figures and politicians' statements, was reflected in Tuesday's session at the local bourse, with moderate gains for the majority of stocks.

Expectations that the long and arduous negotiations between the Greek government and the country?s creditors may be nearing completion sent Greek stocks soaring on Wednesday, with the market?s benchmark finally passing 850 points and trading volume getting close to 100 million euros.

Bank stocks continued their decline on Thursday, but that was not enough to force more losses on the Athens bourse benchmark, which gained more than 1 percent thanks to the closing auctions in a rather indifferent market, as the constantly low trading volume reveals.

The honeymoon is over at the Greek bourse, as the satisfaction from the country?s deal with the eurozone appeared short-lived, with stocks falling for a second day on Thursday on news that the state is increasingly cash-starved and left-wing deputies are disputing the government?s policy.