Volatility prevails today (21/5) on the Athens Stock Exchange, as the climb to 1,500 points triggers some moves to consolidate recent gains.
Let's not forget, moreover, that this year's Greek market return now stands at +16%, with May continuing the positive momentum that has been running uninterrupted since last October.
At the same time, strong fundamentals continue to provide selective support, while the scope for valuation improvement remains satisfactory.
Against this backdrop, investors are choosing to temporarily slow down and digest the new 13-year highs.
More specifically, in today's session, the General Index is down marginally by 0.19% to 1,499.95 points, losing about three points compared to Monday's close (1,502.79 points).
The arc of daily fluctuations extends to four points (from 1,499.64 to 1,503.68 points), with the turnover of transactions ranging at 4 million.
On the board, now, the AIA share is losing at least 2%, as it is trading without the dividend entitlement as of today. On the other hand, PPC recovers 12 euros, thanks to strong first quarter results, while Optima Bank climbs to a record 11.7 euros, which also receives a boost from satisfactory figures.
The banking index, after hitting new 8-year highs, takes a brief "pause", resulting in a -0.11% and 1,336 points. Alpha Bank's shares retreat slightly to -0.37% and 1.745 euros, National Bank's shares fall to -0.21% and 8.502 euros, Eurobank's shares are almost unchanged at 2.13 euros, while Piraeus' shares are up +0.23% and 3.859 euros.
In the high-cap index (-0.17% and 3,652 points), Coca - Cola's share retracts -0.7% and 32.5 euros, not attempting a breach of 4-year highs (32.8 euros). Beyond that, Cenergy, Helleniq Energy, Jumbo, Aegean, GEK Terna, and Mytilineos all record losses of 0.5%. In contrast, OPAP shares gain 0.7%, while PPC shares attempt to break above 12 euros for the first time since April 11.
As for the mid-cap index (+0.15% and 2,404 points), Intracom Holdings' shares stand out at +1.2% and 3.8 euros, with Techniki Olympias' shares following at +0.7%. On the flip side, shares of Intrakat, Profile, ABAX and EYATH lose up to 0.9%. PPA shares, meanwhile, slip -1.2% to EUR 24.8.
