GEK Terna

The Greek bourse ended its first losing week in more than a month after a mixed session that saw blue chips growing but the main index as well as the majority of stocks shrinking. A number of prearranged packages sent the daily turnover very high, though net trading was rather slow.

Tuesday's decline at the Greek stock market was widely anticipated following eight consecutive sessions of gains for the benchmark that came off Monday's 10-year high. Traders cashed in recently accumulated profits, with the main index posting its biggest daily slide in three months.

Unfazed by the decline of the banks index and the majority of stocks, the main index of the Greek stock market started the week with its eighth consecutive session of growth to register yet another 10-year high. A profit-taking move now appears long overdue. The daily trading volume was predictably reduced, given the holiday in the US.

Greece is planning an initial public offering (IPO) for Athens International Airport, the country's biggest, on the Athens Stock Exchange next month, two sources with knowledge of the plan said on Wednesday. A draft law completing the necessary institutional prerequisites for the listing cleared Parliament on Thursday.

Thursday was a historic day for the Greek stock market, as the sixth consecutive day of growth for blue chips and the main index sent its benchmark to heights unseen in almost a decade. The new 10-year record for the bourse came without the support of mid-caps, which declined for a second day in a row. Banks more than made up for that, as they outperformed.

The fifth consecutive session of gains for the benchmark at Athinon Avenue took it to yet another five-month high on Wednesday, although the majority of stocks and the mid-cap index posted a decline. Banks pulled the blue-chip index higher to secure an extension of the growth that profit-takers will seek to capitalize.

A universal move upwards for stocks in the Greek bourse on Monday led the benchmark to major gains and the daily turnover well above the 100-million-euro mark. The main index has now climbed to levels unseen since the end of last July, while investors are also looking forward to the listing of Athens International Airport that the government has decided.

A total of 2.15 billion euros will be invested by 2027 in the Elliniko plot in southern Athens by four companies that have agreed with Lamda on the development of individual parts of the area once occupied by the capital's airport.

It is estimated that the required building permits will have been secured by end-June so that these projects can start.

After Wednesday's respite, the benchmark of the Greek stock market reverted to its upward course on Thursday to record a new four-month high, vindicating a large portion of observers who believe that, after Greece regained its investment-level credit rating, the only way is up for stocks at Athinon Avenue. The daily turnover figure is also gradually recovering.

The year's final week started for the Greek stock market on Wednesday with a slight increase for the main index, mainly thanks to the growth of National Bank stock that also led to the banks index posting significant gains on the day. As things stand, the benchmark is heading for an annual growth rate of 40% for the entire year.