Stocks end 1.65% higher

Stocks ended higher for the second consecutive session at the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday reflecting investors’ hopes over the government’s privatisation programme, due to be announced in the next few days. The composite index of the market rose 1.65 pct to end at 1,531.04 points, with turnover a low 73.980 million euros. The Big Cap index rose 1.95 pct, the Mid Cap index ended 0.46 pct higher and the Small Cap index rose 0.64 pct.

Alpha Bank (0.44 pct) and Jumbo (0.20 pct) were the only blue chip stocks to end lower, while OPAP (3.60 pct), National Bank (3.19 pct), Piraeus Bank (3.03 pct) and Cyprus Bank (2.85 pct) were top gainers. The Travel (3.15 pct), Banks (2.34 pct) and Oil (1.46 pct) sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day, while Health (3.23 pct) and Insurance (1.66 pct) suffered losses. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 90 to 56 with another 53 issues unchanged. Altec (20 pct), AEGEK (11.76 pct) and Boutaris (11.11 pct) were top gainers, while Axon Holdings (19.61 pct), Pairis (19.57 pct) and Ridenco (16.67 pct) were top losers.

Sector indices ended as follows:
Insurance:	-1.66%
Industrials:	+0.76%
Commercial:	-0.39%
Construction:	+1.08%
Media:	-0.66%
Oil & Gas:	+1.46%
Personal & Household:	+0.75%
Raw Materials:	+0.57%
Travel & Leisure:	+3.15%
Technology:	+1.38%
Telecoms:	+0.64%
Banks:	+2.34%
Food & Beverages:	+1.42%
Health:	-3.22%
Utilities:	+1.14%
Chemicals:	-0.37%
Financial Services:	+0.08%

The stocks with the highest turnover were OPAP, National Bank, OTE and Alpha Bank.

Selected shares from the FTSE/ASE-20 index closed in euros as follows:
Alpha Bank:	4.51
ATEbank:	0.56
Public Power Corp (PPC):	11.85
HBC Coca Cola:	19.78
Hellenic Petroleum:	7.31
National Bank of Greece:	6.15
EFG Eurobank Ergasias:	4.20
OPAP:	15.54
OTE:	7.83
Bank of Piraeus:	1.36
Titan:	17.85