The Athens Stock Exchange continues today (26/8) its strategy of... step by step, as investor interest continues to show a stunted, unsatisfactory picture.

Somehow, investors seem to be choosing to accumulate forces at current levels, not attempting to break through the 1,440 resistance and remaining in the 1,430 area.

Today's London bank holiday, on the one hand, and the tense climate in the Middle East, which removes the euphoria from the prospect of a reduction in US interest rates, may play a role in this. 

In this environment, in the first session of the new week, the General Index is up marginally by 0.17% to 1,435.04 points, gaining about 2.5 points compared to Friday's close (1,432.60 points).

The arc of daily fluctuations extends to eight points (from 1,430.06 to 1,438.87 points), with a turnover of 28 million euros, of which 2.4 million euros are pre-agreed packages.

The banking index is almost unchanged, as it is -0.03% and at 1,281 points, so the distance from this year's highs of 1,354 points is set at -5.5%.

ΝΒG shares retreat to -1.16% and EUR 8.024, Eurobank's shares are stable at EUR 2.076, Piraeus' shares are up +0.82% and EUR 3.926, while Alpha's shares follow at +0.69% and EUR 1.60.

In the high-cap index (+0.15% and 3,497 points), OTE shares expand +1.8% and 14.9 euros, with shares of Ellaktor, Elvalhalcor, and Jumbo gaining around +1%. PPC - AIA - Autohellas, for their part, are up to +0.7%. On the flip side, Viohalco's shares are folding at -1.1% and EUR 5.9, paying the marble price for being delisted from the FTSE Russell Large Cap. At the same time, shares in Coca-Cola and OPAP are down 0.5% each.

As for the mid-cap index (+0.80% and 2,283 points), Intralot's shares stand out positively at +3.8% and 1.19 euros, following its inclusion in the mid-cap index of the FTSE Russell. Intracom shares also climb by 3%, while Optima and EYATH shares gain at least 2%. In contrast, shares of Lavipharm, Intrakat and Dimand declined by more than -1%.