Stocks end 1.24% higher

Stocks ended significantly higher at the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday, with the composite index of the market flirting with the 1,700 level. The index rose 1.24 pct to end at 1,690.58 points, with turnover rising to 164.135 million euros.

The Big Cap index jumped 1.58 pct, the Mid Cap index ended 2.09 pct higher and the Small Cap index rose 2.98 pct. MIG (20 pct), Mytilineos (4.92 pct) and PPC (4.05 pct) were major gainers among blue chip stocks, while ATEbank (1.25 pct) and Coca-Cola 3E (1.20 pct) were top losers.

The Financial Services (13.59 pct), Health (10.26 pct) and Media (5.06 pct) sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day, while Insurance (2.89 pct) and Food (1.06 pct) suffered losses. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 128 to 46 with another 44 issues unchanged. MIG (20 pct), Paperpack (16.67 pct) and Intrakat (15.79 pct) were top gainers, while Elbisco (12.5 pct), Hellenic Textiles (9.09 pct) and FHL Mermeren (8.85 pct) were top losers.

Sector indices ended as follows:
Insurance:	-2.89%
Industrials:	-0.28%
Commercial:	-0.22%
Construction:	+1.47%
Media:	+5.08%
Oil & Gas:	+0.27%
Personal & Household:	+2.41%
Raw Materials:	+3.84%
Travel & Leisure:	+2.66%
Technology:	+3.15%
Telecoms:	Unchanged
Banks:	+1.51%
Food & Beverages:	-1.06%
Health:	+10.26%
Utilities:	+2.98%
Chemicals:	+1.79%
Financial Services:	+13.59%

The stocks with the highest turnover were National Bank, Coca Cola 3E, Alpha Bank and Marfin Popular Bank.

Selected shares from the FTSE/ASE-20 index closed in euros as follows:
Alpha Bank:	4.80
ATEbank:	0.79
Public Power Corp (PPC):	12.34
HBC Coca Cola:	21.40
Hellenic Petroleum:	7.53
National Bank of Greece:	7.76
EFG Eurobank Ergasias:	4.76
OPAP:	15.80
OTE:	8.10
Bank of Piraeus:	1.64
Titan:	15.77