Stock Markets March 17, 2026

Athens market closes higher as banking, construction and travel stocks lift benchmark

Athens General Composite edges up 0.24% with HELLENiQ ENERGY hitting a five-year peak

By Jordan Park
Athens market closes higher as banking, construction and travel stocks lift benchmark

Greek equities ended the trading day higher as gains in banking, construction and travel stocks pushed the Athens General Composite up 0.24%. Intracom Holdings, HELLENiQ ENERGY and Evropi led advancers, while Viohalco, Metlen Energy & Metals and Hellenic Telecommunications were among the declines. Market breadth favored risers and several commodity and currency contracts moved modestly in global markets.

Key Points

  • Athens General Composite closed up 0.24%, with gains concentrated in Banking, Construction and Travel sectors.
  • Intracom Holdings, HELLENiQ ENERGY and Evropi were the session's top performers; Viohalco, Metlen Energy & Metals and Hellenic Telecommunications were the largest decliners.
  • Market breadth favored risers (74) over decliners (42), while commodities showed mixed moves — gold down modestly, crude and Brent oil higher.

Greek stocks finished the session in positive territory on Tuesday, with the Athens General Composite closing up 0.24% after advances in the Banking, Construction and Travel sectors supported the market.

At the close in Athens, the benchmark index rose by 0.24%.

Top performers

  • Intracom Holdings SA (AT:INRr) led gains, climbing 6.45% - or 0.19 points - to finish at 3.13.
  • HELLENiQ ENERGY Holdings SA (AT:HEPr) added 4.15% - or 0.41 points - to close at 10.29.
  • Evropi Holdings SA (AT:EVROr) rose 4.02% - or 0.08 points - to end the day at 2.07.

Largest decliners

  • Viohalco SA (AT:VIOH) was the weakest major name, down 3.84% - or 0.54 points - to 13.52 at the close.
  • Metlen Energy & Metals (AT:MTLNr) slipped 1.65% - or 0.62 points - to finish at 37.06.
  • Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (AT:OTEr) fell 1.37% - or 0.24 points - to 17.26.

Market breadth on the Athens Stock Exchange favored advancing issues: 74 stocks rose versus 42 that fell, while 14 were unchanged.

HELLENiQ ENERGY's share price moved to a five-year high during the session, rising 4.15% - or 0.41 points - to 10.29.


Commodities and currencies

In commodities trading, Gold Futures for April delivery were down 0.12% - or 6.04 - to $4,996.16 a troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery increased 2.91% - or 2.69 - to $95.15 a barrel, while the May Brent contract rose 2.60% - or 2.61 - to trade at $102.82 a barrel.

On the currency front, EUR/USD was unchanged 0.16% at 1.15, and EUR/GBP was unchanged 0.01% at 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures fell 0.03% to 99.43.


The trading day closed with positive momentum across multiple sectors, led by notable gains in several individual stocks and a mixed picture in commodities and currency markets.

Risks

  • Concentration of gains in specific sectors such as Banking, Construction and Travel could leave the broader market sensitive to sector-specific developments - impacts primarily on financials, construction and travel-related stocks.
  • Price declines in key industrial and telecom names like Viohalco and Hellenic Telecommunications Organization highlight downside risk for investors in heavy industry and communications sectors.
  • Volatility in commodity markets, with crude and Brent rising while gold fell slightly, introduces uncertainty for resource-linked companies and sectors sensitive to input or energy costs.

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