Stock Markets January 23, 2026

Athenian Market Sees Marginal Decline Driven by Telecoms and Resources Sectors

Losses in key sectors suppress Greece's primary stock index on Friday close

By Derek Hwang SRSR
Athenian Market Sees Marginal Decline Driven by Telecoms and Resources Sectors
SRSR

The Athens General Composite experienced a slight downturn at Friday’s close, primarily influenced by declines in the Telecoms, Household, and Basic Resources sectors. Despite this, select stocks such as Lavipharm SA and Ekter posted significant gains, reaching multi-year highs. Commodities trading showed positive movement with gold and oil prices rising moderately, while currency pairs remained mostly stable.

Key Points

  • Athens General Composite declined by 0.49%, impacted by falling stocks in Telecoms, Household, and Basic Resources sectors.
  • Lavipharm SA and Ekter achieved multi-year highs, rising 5.69% and 3.83% respectively, highlighting select strong individual stock performances despite the overall market decline.
  • Commodity prices, particularly gold and crude oil futures, showed gains, while currency exchange rates largely remained stable, indicating mixed performance across markets.

The Athens General Composite Index ended trading on Friday with a modest decline of 0.49%, dampened by downward trends in several major sectors, particularly Telecoms, Household, and Basic Resources.

During the session, Lavipharm SA (AT:LPHr) led the gains, appreciating 5.69% or 0.06 points to settle at 1.04, marking a three-year high for the stock. Ekter (AT:EKTr) followed with a 3.83% increase, adding 0.15 points to close at 4.07, reaching a five-year peak. Ilyda SA Class R (AT:ILYr) also showed strong performance, rising 3.60% or 0.18 points to 5.18 in late trading.

Conversely, some stocks posted losses: Gr Sarantis SA (AT:SRSr) decreased by 2.04%, dropping 0.28 points to end at 13.42. Shares in Hellenic Exchanges Athens Stock Exchange SA (AT:EXCr) fell 1.82%, sliding 0.11 points to 5.92, while Piraeus Bank SA (AT:BOPr) declined by 1.78%, losing 0.15 points to finish at 8.26.

Overall, the Athenian market saw 60 stocks decrease against 58 that advanced, with 15 stocks remaining unchanged by the close.

In terms of commodities, February gold futures gained 0.96%, rising by $47.04 to $4,960.44 per troy ounce. Energy markets also experienced positive momentum with March crude oil futures advancing 2.48% or $1.47 to $60.83 per barrel, alongside Brent crude rising 2.45% or $1.57 to trade at $65.63 per barrel.

Currency markets exhibited little volatility, as EUR/USD fluctuated by a marginal 0.03% to 1.18 and EUR/GBP increased slightly by 0.45% to 0.87. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index Futures dropped 0.17%, trading at 98.01.

Risks

  • The dominance of losses in Telecoms, Household, and Basic Resources sectors signals potential sector-specific weaknesses that could affect future market stability.
  • Against the backdrop of a market decline, the close balance between advancing and declining stocks suggests market volatility and uncertainty.
  • Relatively stable currency exchange rates coupled with fluctuating commodity prices may introduce external economic pressures impacting export-oriented sectors and commodity-linked companies.

More from Stock Markets

Draganfly Shares Jump After Win to Supply Flex FPV Drones and Training to Air Force Special Ops Feb 2, 2026 Peakstone Realty Trust to Be Taken Private by Brookfield; Shares Jump 33% Feb 2, 2026 Beyond Inc. Moves to Build Unified Investment and Personal Finance Platform with Tokens.com Deal Feb 2, 2026 Eton Pharmaceuticals Gains After Securing U.S. Rights to Ultra-Rare Disease Candidate Feb 2, 2026 Morgan Stanley Survey: Broader Consumer Sentiment Improves While Electronics Spending Intentions Slip Feb 2, 2026