The Athens Stock Exchange closed today (20/5) above 1,500 points for the first time since 2011, with buyers maintaining the positive sentiment in the market, which now shows an average return of 16% through 2024.

Investors found valuable support in banks, while strong first quarter fundamentals provided an additional boost to listed companies, many of which see their valuations at multi-year highs or historical records.

Somehow, May preserves the optimistic scenario, extending this year's upward movement and contradicting the Cassandras, who have long been expecting a strong correction in the domestic capital market.

The arc of daily fluctuations was fixed at 10 points (from 1,495.66 to 1,505.07 points), with a turnover of 109 million euros, of which 9 million euros were pre-agreed packages.

The banking index led today's upward movement, climbing +1.12% to 1,338 points, hitting a new 8-year high.

Alpha Bank's shares gained dynamically to +2.43% and EUR 1.7515, Eurobank's shares rose +1.57% and EUR 2.141, Ethnik Bank's shares traded +0.73% and EUR 8.52, while Piraeus' shares were almost unchanged at EUR 3.85.

In the high-cap index (+1.01% and 3,658 points), PPC shares gained 1.18% and approached EUR 12 again, pending the quarterly figures. The shares of Coca - Cola, Jumbo, Lamda Development, Viohalco, and Sarantis also gained more than 1%. At the same time, Helleniq Energy and Titan Cement climbed 2.5%. On the other hand, Aegean's shares contracted by almost 3% and retreated to 12.7 euros, as it was trading without dividend rights as of today. Cenergy's shares also moved by 2.1%.

As for the mid-cap index (+0.01% and 2,400 points), the shares of EXAE stood out positively at +1.1% and 5.25 euros, with shares of Alumyl and Ideal gaining 1% each. And Intracom's shares followed at +0.9%. On the flip side, Profile's shares folded from recent records and fell 2.8%. ADMIE, Lavipharm and Austriacard contracted by 1% to 1.6%.