New attacks from both sides in the U.S.-Iran conflict are putting the fragile ceasefire to the test once again, a development that is also reflected in the markets.
Oil prices are climbing back toward $96 (Brent), and the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note is up over 4.5% again, though indices like the VIX/CBOE remain well below critical alert levels.
S&P 500 futures are trading at a discount in New York, with DAX 30, CAC 40, and other contracts following a similar trend.
This is the penultimate trading session of May (and the five-month period), and those who were hoping for some form of preliminary agreement at this stage will most likely reduce part of their long positions. In practice, the third month is coming to a close without even a draft agreement, with all that this may imply for both the markets and the real economy and business sector.
What is certain is that, as far as Europe is concerned, the ECB will raise interest rates by 25 basis points to 2.25% at its June 10–11 meeting, with economists considering another hike almost certain. Obviously, the cost of money will further burden the struggling European economy and businesses in the medium to long term.
However, in the short term, long positions are yielding positive returns in May, with varying returns across stock markets, with the Greek market remaining among the top performers.
The General Index stands at 2,370.04 points with a monthly change of 7.58%, the DTR at 2,735.33 with a return of 8.52%, and the FTSE25 at 6,019.82 with 7.77% over the same period.
The banking sector remains the leading sector, but with the energy sector as a close second; centered on PPC, it attracted the most capital—for the first time in 2026—while simultaneously injecting significant liquidity into the system. Trading volume, turnover, and order composition demonstrated the stock market’s momentum, which, under the right conditions, could substantially “deepen.” One of the key benefits for the market, according to brokers.
"Easy to say, hard to do," as they say, as the sector remains in the spotlight, this time with the upcoming rights issue of ADMIE. While different from most of PPC’s offerings, it is nonetheless a bet that members of the community are rushing to capitalize on, at least in the short term.
However, alongside the energy sector, a new sector is emerging—that of bulk shipping—with Safe Bulkers leading the way. The shipping company owned by Poly Hatzioannou is no stranger to the public—as it has previously issued bonds—but it is the first to be listed on the underlying stock market. Subscriptions began on Tuesday, with the process proceeding at a rapid pace.
At the same time, the announcement of financial results and business developments are sustaining interest across a broad spectrum of the market.
From large caps (Motor Oil, Cenergy Holdings, Jumbo) to mid caps (Lavipharm, EKTER, EYATH, etc.).