Athens Stock Exchange Opens Down by 0.30% – European Shares Decline at the Start of Trading

Prices fell during today’s session (March 21, 2025) at the Athens Stock Exchange amid a declining climate in European markets. Specifically, the General Index of Prices is shaped at 1,697.74 units, marking a decline of 0.30%. The trading value reaches €136.68 million, with €118 million attributed to the sale of a 53-million-share package of Alpha Bank by John Paulson at €2.225 per share. The high-capitalization index records a drop of 0.50%, while the medium-capitalization index strengthens by 0.13%. European shares declined at the start of trading, with travel company stocks experiencing the biggest losses following the fire at Heathrow Airport. The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell by 0.5% at 10:15 AM Greek time, with the travel and leisure companies’ index retreating by 2.1%. The French CAC 40 dropped by 0.5%, the German DAX also fell by 0.5%, and the London FTSE 100 retreated by 0.4%. Airline shares faced pressure as the company managing London’s Heathrow Airport—the largest in Europe—announced its suspension for the day due to a power outage caused by a fire at an electricity substation. IAG shares fell by 3.1%, Lufthansa by 1.2%, and Air France KLM and easyJet recorded declines of 2% and 1.3%, respectively.