Athens Stock Exchange: General Index Jumps 1.13% Amid Positive Eurozone Signals

On March 5, 2025, the Athens Stock Exchange recorded upward trends at the start of today’s session, driven by a strong bullish movement in European markets reacting positively after yesterday’s (March 4, 2025) significant decline. The General Index rose to 1,621.38 points, marking an increase of 1.20%. Trading volume reached €133.58 million, with €109 million attributed to the sale of 57 million Alpha Bank shares by American investor John Paulson at €1.92 per share. The high-capitalization index gained 0.94%, while the mid-capitalization index strengthened by 0.96%. Notable gainers among high-capitalization stocks included METLEN Energy & Metals (+2.41%), Viohalco (+2.33%), Elvalhalcor (+2.32%), and Ellaktor (+2.22%). Conversely, only Alpha Bank shares fell (-0.56%). Across all stocks, 76 advanced, 11 declined, and 9 remained stable. Significant risers were Xyloemporia (+9.19%) and SIDMA (+5.33%), while Mevaco (-4.81%) and Mermeren (-4.10%) saw the largest declines. In Europe, stock markets rebounded following Germany’s decision to relax its debt brake. Germany’s blue-chip index surged 2.6%, nearing record highs, as the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) agreed on a €500 billion special fund and debt brake adjustments for defense spending and growth initiatives. The pan-European STOXX 600 climbed 1.20% after suffering its worst daily performance since August 2024 due to U.S. tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports. Key indices showed gains: FTSE 100 (+0.70%), DAX (+3.42%), CAC 40 (+2.22%), FTSE MIB (+1.98%), and IBEX 35 (+1.68%). German industrial and arms manufacturing stocks soared, with Heidelberg Materials up 7.8%, Bilfinger jumping 11.7%, and Hochtief rising 7.6%. The European banking sector led gains, increasing nearly 4%.