Stock Markets April 17, 2026 10:50 AM

Athens market climbs as banks, builders and travel names lead gains

Athens General Composite posts 1.50% rise to a one-month peak as sector winners outnumber laggards

By Priya Menon
Athens market climbs as banks, builders and travel names lead gains

Greek equities closed higher on Friday with the Athens General Composite advancing 1.50% to reach a one-month high. Gains were concentrated in the Banking, Construction and Travel sectors, while select energy and utilities names lagged. Market breadth favoured advancers, and commodity and FX contracts showed mixed moves during the session.

Key Points

  • Athens General Composite rose 1.50%, reaching a one-month high.
  • Banking, construction and travel sectors led gains; major winners included Alpha Bank (AT:ACBr), Optima bank (AT:OPTIMAr) and Elvalhalcor (AT:ELHA).
  • Energy and utilities names such as Motor Oil (AT:MORr) and Public Power (AT:DEHr) underperformed; market breadth showed 83 advancers, 33 decliners and 13 unchanged.

Stocks listed in Greece ended the trading day higher on Friday, driven by strength in banks, construction and travel-related groups.

The Athens General Composite closed up 1.50%, marking a new one-month high for the index.

The session's top performers included Alpha Bank SA (AT:ACBr), which climbed 5.56% (up 0.21 points) to finish at 3.93. Optima bank SA (AT:OPTIMAr) rose 4.90% (0.45 points) to close at 9.63, while Elvalhalcor Hellenic Copper and Aluminium Industry SA (AT:ELHA) gained 4.74% (0.19 points) to end the day at 4.20.

On the downside, Motor Oil Hellas Corinth Refineries SA (AT:MORr) was the weakest among major names, declining 3.39% (down 1.28 points) to trade at 36.52 at the close. Public Power (AT:DEHr) slipped 2.19% (0.42 points) to finish at 18.72, and Quest Holdings (AT:IQTr) decreased 1.85% (0.13 points) to end at 6.90.

Market breadth on the Athens Stock Exchange favoured rising shares, with 83 stocks advancing and 33 declining; 13 issues were unchanged.

In commodities, Gold Futures for June delivery rose 1.96% (up 94.44) to $4,902.74 a troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery fell 14.45% (down 13.68) to $81.01 a barrel, and the June Brent contract dropped 13.16% (down 13.08) to trade at $86.31 a barrel.

Currency markets showed limited movement: EUR/USD was unchanged 0.34% to 1.18, while EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.01% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures declined 0.48% to 97.56.

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Risks

  • Notable declines in key energy and utility stocks introduce sector-specific downside risk for portfolios with exposure to refined fuels and power generation (affects energy and utilities sectors).
  • Large intraday moves in commodity prices, including sharp falls in crude contracts, could increase volatility for related sectors and influence input costs for industrial firms (affects energy and industrial sectors).
  • Currency and dollar index swings, while limited in this session, remain an uncertainty that can influence import/export-dependent companies and translate into earnings variability (affects exporters, importers and FX-sensitive sectors).

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