The Athens Stock Exchange took a first step today (1/7) in order to break away from the 1,400 points, with the market recovering from the two-month lows and entering the second half of 2024 with the "right foot.".
The positive sentiment abroad, and especially in France, undoubtedly contributed significantly to the buyers' counterattack, given that analysts "see" difficulties in the scenario of the formation of an independent government by Marine Le Pen's party.
On the other hand, of course, the lead of the far-right party "National Coalition" ahead of the second round is more than clear, which does not exclude the possibility of restoring volatility in the coming sessions.
In this context, in Athens, the General Index recorded a remarkable increase of 1.18% to 1,420.83 points, gaining about 16.5 points compared to Friday's close (1,404.26 points).
The arc of daily fluctuations was fixed at 14 points (from 1,409.56 to 1,423.46 points), with a turnover of 118 million euros, of which 25.9 million euros related to pre-agreed packages.
The banking index was put in the focus of buyers, climbing +3.40% to 1,254 points, marking the best session since April and "trimming" to -7% the distance from the year's highs.
Piraeus shares climbed +5.40% and 3.59 euros; Alpha Bank shares expanded +4.43% and 1.591 euros; Eurobank shares finished +3.76% and 2.097 euros; and National Bank shares rose +2.06% and 7.944 euros.
In the high-cap index (+1.65% and 3,457 points), shares of Elvalhalcor soared +7.48% and 1,896 euros, achieving its highest daily gains of 2024. Viohalco shares also showed a 3.5% rally, approaching 5.9 euros again, while Cenergy followed at +2.6% and 9.8 euros. Metlen's shares rose +1.4% and 35.3 euros, while Autohellas, Coca-Cola, Hellaktor and Sarantis gained more than 1%. On the flip side, Aegean and Titan retreated by 1%.
As for the mid-cap index (+0.65% and 2,263 points), Intracom Holdings' shares stood out positively at +5.9% and 3.4 euros, with Austriacard, Lavipharm, EXAE, and PPA trailing by more than 1%. Profile shares also rose by 2.1%. On the other hand, shares of Techniki Olympiaki were down 1.2%, with shares of AVAX down 0.7%.
