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The Athens Stock Exchange Dropped by Almost a Quarter Upon Reopening

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After Three Weeks Of Forced Closure Greek Banks Reopen Ahead Of Tax Rises
People queue to get money from ATMs as Greek banks reopened on Monday morning after three weeks of closure on July 20, 2015 in Athens, GreeceMilos Bicanski—Getty Images
By Joanna Plucinska

The Athens Stock Exchange reopened Monday morning to a huge loss, with the Athex dropping by 22.8% to 615.16 points — a total loss of 182.36 points — within minutes.

According to the BBC, Greek bank shares are to blame for the plunge. Piraeus Bank, National Bank, Alpha Bank, and Eurobank, who represent the country’s largest lenders, all saw a 30% fall in their share values.

The exchange was closed for the past five weeks as Greece was renegotiating its debt load with international creditors. The BBC says traders had predicted a drop in share value upon the exchange’s reopening.

According to the European Commission, Greece is expected to enter into a recession this year.

[BBC]

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