Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-03-15

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Market - Close

[02] ADEX -close

[03] Foreign Exchange Rates-Thursday

[04] Indicative - Fuel - Prices

[05] Weather Forecast-Thursday

[06] Papantoniou-stock market

[07] Simitis-Bourse-Calm

[08] ASE-close

[01] Foreign Exchange Market - Close

The drachma gained on both the euro and the US dollar in the domestic foreign exchange market on Wednesday as demand rose without any intervention from the Bank of Greece.

At the central bank's daily fixing, the euro was set 333.570 drachmas from 333.600 a day earlier, and the US dollar at 345.320 drachmas from 346.460 drachmas on Tuesday.

[02] ADEX -close

The prices of most futures contracts rose in the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Wednesday. The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 0.85 percent higher while the FTSE/ASE 40 index ended up 0.22 percent lower.

A total of 2,966 futures contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 index, worth 15.1 billion drachmas. The March expiring contract ended at 2,580 points, the April contract at 2,630 billion drachmas, the May contract at 2,632 points and the June expiring contract at 2,600 points.

A total of 1,223 contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 40 index, worth 3.06 billion drachmas. The March expiring contract ended at 648.75 points, the April contract at 667.75, the May at 678 and the June contract at 685 points.

[03] Foreign Exchange Rates-Thursday

Following are indicative foreign exchange buying rates for commercial banks, released by the central bank for the next working day.

Thursday's rates

Euro 330.901

U.S. dollar 342.557

[04] Indicative - Fuel - Prices

A drop in suggested retail fuel prices was announced on Wednesday by the government, effective for one week.

Specifically, super gasoline fell by 0.9 drachmas per litre and one drachma for unleaded. The price of diesel decreased by 2.1 drachmas per litre while heating oil fell by 0.4 drachmas.

In the greater Athens area and Thessaloniki prefecture, the suggested retail price for super now stands at 259.2 drachmas per litre, 242.4 for unleaded.

[05] Weather Forecast-Thursday

Rainy weather is forecast throughout the country on Thursday with a drop in temperature. Snow in the mountainous regions of northern Greece.

Winds will be southerly, southwesterly, moderate to strong.

[06] Papantoniou-stock market

National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou reiterated on Wednesday his optimistic forecast over the Athens Stock Exchange's course.

Addressing the annual general assembly of the Federation of Greek Banks, Papantoniou stressed that the bourse was a basic lever for business growth and that despite any temporary setbacks its course would be upwards.

Conversely, main opposition New Democracy party honorary president and one-time premier Constantine Mitsotakis, addressing the same event, criticised the ruling PASOK government over its handling of the stock market.

[07] Simitis-Bourse-Calm

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Wednesday called for calm and political neutrality in the Athens Stock Exchange, saying that some people, willingly or not, were trying to elevate the bourse into one of the country's pre-eminent political problems.

Simitis noted that neither the government nor political parties should be allowed to intervene in the stock market or seek to take advantage of the bourse's course ahead of elections.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference at central Athens' Zappeion Hall, the incumbent premier reminded that the Athens Stock Exchange was below the 1,000-point mark in 1993, adding that its prospects are positive and secured because of the Greek economy's present state and outlook.

[08] ASE-close

Equity prices ended higher on Wednesday after seven sessions of sharp declines which saw the general index collapse to the 4,250 level.

Dealers said a wave of speculative buying by institutional investors 45 minutes before the close offered support and helped in the spectacular recovery of the market in the last half hour of trade.

Dealers said buying interest focused in blue chip stocks, particularly banks and state-controlled enterprises. Smaller capitalisation stocks, however, remained under pressure.

The Banks index ended 1.44 percent higher after losing 4.67 percent early in the session. National Bank, Eurobank and Ionian Bank ended almost 5.0 percent higher.

The general index ended 0.24 percent up at 4,553.76 points, off the day's lows of 4,253 points.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.85 percent higher at 2,599.79 points, while the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 0.22 percent to 654.62 points.

Turnover was a moderate 235 billion drachmas.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks remained under heavy pressure to end at 776.19 points, off 6.85 percent.

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