Third consecutive rise on the Athens Stock Exchange: Buyers spoke at the end – 1,700 points are resilient

The Greek stock market experienced significant volatility, yet the General Index managed to stay above the 1,700 support level, despite facing intraday pressures. The Athens market reflected the uncertain global climate, impacted by ongoing shifts in the U.S. approach towards China and the Federal Reserve. Buyers slightly outnumbered sellers during the auctions, allowing the General Index to rise for the third consecutive day.

During Thursday’s (April 24) trading session, the General Index saw an increase of 1.16 points, or +0.07%, closing at 1,705.63 points. It fluctuated between a low of 1,695.09 points and a high of 1,708.21 points. So far, April has shown positive performance, up +1.21%, with four more trading days left in the month. The General Index has appreciated by +16.06% year-to-date, although it remains -2.53% below the one-year and 15-year peak of 1,749.90 points reached in August 2010.

OPAP attracted attention today as it approached a 16-year record (June 2009), driven by trading packages constituting 0.32% of its share capital. Specifically, four packages of approximately 1.2 million shares changed hands at prices between €18.725 and €18.80 per share, with total transactions valued at around €22.4 million.

OTE continues to consolidate above €16, with its shares achieving a new three-year high, the highest level since August 2022. Both Profile and Alumil remained in record territory, with Profile extending its all-time high and Alumil reaching levels not seen since December 2007.

Today’s session was characterized by selective trading as the domestic market mirrored the cautious stance of other European exchanges. The Athens Stock Exchange surpassed 1,700 points for the first time since April 3, recovering from earlier monthly losses attributable to global market turbulence that had caused the General Index to drop to 1,455 points.

In a move with a “London twist,” Metlen announced its first-quarter estimates today, adhering to the standards of the British FTSE 100 index. According to the trading update from the listed firm, revenues reached €1.5 billion, a significant increase from €1.143 billion during the same period in 2024, reflecting an annual growth of +31%. A comprehensive presentation of the financial results is scheduled for April 28 during the Capital Markets Day.

Nervousness in International Markets

Despite ending below the day’s highs, Wall Street maintained an upward trajectory on Wednesday, influenced by cautious remarks from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besed, who ruled out any unilateral tariff reductions on China. The Dow Jones and S&P 500 rose over +1%, while the Nasdaq experienced an increase of +2.5%. Thursday’s session began negatively, but sentiment quickly shifted, with major indices climbing higher, particularly the Nasdaq, which surged by +1.5%.

European stock markets are proceeding with caution amid the White House’s “soft releases” concerning tariffs. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index is up +0.1%, trading at 517 points following an initial decline. Germany’s DAX has risen by +0.2%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 has dropped by -0.3%. Asian markets presented a mixed bag, with Japan’s Nikkei up +0.5%.