The Athens Stock Exchange is back in action on Tuesday, with investors “returning” to harsh reality, leaving behind the four-day Easter holidays. The Greek market, once again, is in the midst of opposing forces, as domestic positive catalysts “clash” with prolonged volatility and generalized uncertainty in the US, where Wall Street recorded another plunge of -2.5% on Monday.
The most important event of the day, however, is the upgrade of the Greek economy by Standard & Poor’s, which, despite international challenges, revised the country’s rating to BBB from BBB- previously. This means that it is now one notch above the investment grade base, sending a clear message of confidence in the economic prospects.
The above, combined with the resilient fundamentals, generous dividends and business developments, can give new impetus to the General Index, which last week ended higher by 3.7%.
The main index of Athens today starts at 1,650 points, just -6% away from the 15-year highs of 1,746 points, reached at the end of March, that is, just before the ‘tariff storm’ began.
At the same time, the average return of the ATHEX for 2025 has returned to double-digit levels, close to +11.7%, confirming the constant outperformance of Athens compared to the main stock markets in Europe and the USA.
However, investors should not ignore exogenous risks, as uncertainty surrounding the evolution of the global trade war continues to act as a “weight” on market psychology, including the Greek one.
Foreign markets
Abroad, investors’ attention is focused on the “open” rift between US President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, as the former accuses the latter of being reluctant to cut interest rates. The markets are certainly not thrilled with the above, which they perceive as a clear violation of the central bank’s independence.
