Athens Stock Exchange Opens with a 0.39% Increase – European Shares Rise

The Athens Stock Exchange recorded an increase at the opening of today’s session (May 23, 2025), following yesterday’s mild corrective decline, amid moderate upward movement in European markets. Specifically, the General Index of the Athens Stock Exchange formed at 1,835.38 units, marking an increase of 0.39%, while trading value rose to €16.09 million. The high-capitalization index noted an increase of 0.44%, and the medium-capitalization index strengthened by 0.11%. Among high-capitalization shares, the largest gains were recorded by Elvalhalcor (+1.77%), Piraeus Bank (+1.39%), National Bank (+1.11%), and OTE (+1.01%). Conversely, the largest declines were seen in Ellaktor (-0.63%), Sarantis (-0.45%), and OLPP (-0.43%). Out of all shares, 48 moved upwards, 27 declined, and 16 remained stable. The biggest increases were observed in Unibios (+3.20%) and Païris (+2.53%), while the sharpest drops were in Alpha Real Estate (-6.54%) and Myloi Keponou (-5.39%). European stock markets also opened higher today as a decline in bond yields provided relief to investors. The pan-European STOXX 600 index increased by 0.3% at 10:21 AM Greek time, heading towards its sixth consecutive week of gains. The UK FTSE 100 blue-chip index rose by 0.4% after data showed that British retail sales increased more than expected in April. Additionally, the German economy reported significantly stronger growth in the first quarter compared to initial estimates. The German DAX index rose by 0.4%. Financial markets faced pressure this week as U.S. bond yields rose amid concerns about the expansion of American debt. However, today, yields on 10-year U.S. and European bonds fell.