Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-04-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

[02] Weather Forecast: Temperature to rise on Thursday

[03] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks end higher in lively trade

[01] Foreign Exchange Rates - Thursday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank

U.S. dollar 1.122

Pound sterling 0.702

Danish kroner 7.483

Swedish kroner 9.190

Japanese yen 134.0

Swiss franc 1.525

Norwegian kroner 7.900

Cyprus pound 0.592

Canadian dollar 1.616

Australian dollar 1.796

[02] Weather Forecast: Temperature to rise on Thursday

Warm, sunny weather is forecast in all parts of the country. Early morning mist is expected on the mainland and in parts of the Ionian. Winds variable, light. On the mainland, temperatures will range from 9C to 28C; and in the islands from 12C to 24C. Temperatures in Athens between 13C and 27C; and in Thessaloniki from 11C to 27C.

[03] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks end higher in lively trade

The Athens bourse finished higher on Wednesday with players buying into mainly high capitalisation paper, including banks and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE).

The general share index gained 1.58 percent to end at 1,691.52 points. Turnover was 397.1 million euros, fuelled by a block trade in Cosmote with Telenor of Norway selling 9.0 percent of its holding in the firm to institutional investors.

OTE closed with gains of 2.78 percent.

On Tuesday, players dumped stock in OTE and its mobile subsidiary Cosmote on news that Morgan Stanley had lowered its rating on the heavily traded parent firm, lowering their prices sharply and dampening sentiment across the board.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 2.34 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 1.28 percent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with gains of 1.22 percent.

The FTSE/ASE-140 closed 2.04 percent up.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 219 to 97 with 44 issues remaining unchanged.

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