Greece's main equity gauge ended the trading day in negative territory on Friday, with selling concentrated in the banking, telecoms and household sectors pushing the Athens General Composite down 2.26% at the close.
Among the session's winners, Elvalhalcor Hellenic Copper and Aluminium Industry SA (AT:ELHA) gained 2.19% - up 0.12 points to finish at 5.59. Kri-Kri Milk (AT:KRIr) rose 2.04% or 0.50 points to close at 25.00, while Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (AT:OTEr) added 1.95% or 0.36 points to trade at 18.86 in late dealings.
On the downside, Eurobank Ergasias SA (AT:EURBr) led losses among headline names, slipping 4.79% or 0.19 points to end at 3.72. Cenergy Holdings SA (AT:CENEr) fell 4.14% or 1.08 points to 25.02, and Piraeus Bank SA (AT:BOPr) dropped 4.09% or 0.35 points to 8.30.
Decliners outnumbered advancers on the Athens Stock Exchange by 79 to 29, with an additional 22 issues finishing unchanged.
Two companies reached milestone levels during the session: shares of Elvalhalcor Hellenic Copper and Aluminium Industry SA (AT:ELHA) rose to 5-year highs, climbing 2.19% to 5.59, and Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (AT:OTEr) also moved to a 5-year high after advancing 1.95% to 18.86.
Commodity markets recorded sharp moves alongside the equity action. Gold futures for June delivery eased 2.63% - down $123.21 - to $4,562.09 a troy ounce. Energy contracts strengthened: crude oil for June delivery rose 3.42% or $3.46 to $104.63 a barrel, while the July Brent contract increased 3.09% or $3.27 to trade at $108.99 a barrel.
In currency markets, EUR/USD was effectively unchanged, moving 0.33% to 1.16, and EUR/GBP was steady as well, adjusting 0.05% to 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures registered a modest uptick of 0.41%, trading at 99.14.
Market context and takeaways
The session reflected a broad-based pullback in Athens equities, with financials and select industrials among the principal sources of downward pressure. At the same time, industrial metal and telecommunications names recorded gains and in some cases marked five-year peaks.
This mixed intra-market performance accompanied notable volatility in commodities, with gold slipping sharply and oil prices climbing on the day.