DETH: Alexis Tsipras publicly asked whether in Thessaloniki, with the measures he announced, he "blew the bank" or appeared "stingy". The answer that came yesterday through a QED survey shows that there was also a third option, which he probably had not counted on.
57% found his announcements utopian, while only 26% found them realistic. The worst, however, is that 62% describe them as ordinary and only 23% see something innovative. In addition, 44% believe they were not well thought out, versus 40% who say the opposite. And this last one is perhaps the best score he achieved.
Some consolation for ELAS that Nikos Androulakis did not do much better either. 54% considered his own announcements "utopian", while 29% found them realistic. On the ordinary scale, the percentage rises to 68%, with only 19% finding them innovative.
The only advantage that Charilaou Trikoupi can invoke is that its proposals are considered somewhat more well thought out compared to those of ELAS, at 43% versus 40%.
In short, the differences in the reception of the proposals are small. They could be described, perhaps with the exception of ELAS's "1% tax on the wealth of the richest 1%" , as even similar.
And when the differences are not large in the appeal of the programs, then the people, who in any case play a very serious role in politics, acquire even greater weight.
MARINAKIS: The government spokesperson insisted that the idea of interrupting the unemployment benefit after two months, with the money saved going to businesses and to reducing contributions, was a personal position and not a government one. Absolutely legitimate and understandable.
The essential point is that the QED survey published yesterday shows that among voters his idea went down like a lead balloon. Only 19% agree with the proposal, while 78% disagree.
Even among voters of his own party, disagreement reaches 66%, that is, almost two out of three, with only 29% standing by Pavlos Marinakis.
The picture is perhaps also explained by DYPA's own figures. In July, those registered in its registry exceeded 715,000, but only 148,000 received benefits, about two out of ten.
A benefit that reaches such a small portion of the unemployed hardly convinces as the reason that keeps people away from work.
The good news for Maximos is that public disagreement by ministers does not bother as much as one might expect. 45% consider it legitimate and only 14% unacceptable. One in three, however, 33%, says it simply creates... confusion.
P.S.: The survey, however, does not answer a critical question. What appeal Pavlos's idea might have had in the electoral district where he will soon be a parliamentary candidate. Because we are talking about the Northern Sector (Athens B1), where we reasonably assume that the positive percentages may be quite different.
SCHOINAS: With emphasis on the first person singular, the (since April) Minister of Rural Development distinguished his position from that of his predecessors, without naming them.
"For you to tell me at the political level that I am coming to cover something which I am coming to correct does not stand. I was the first to speak publicly in support of the European Public Prosecutor's Office", said Margaritis Schoinas from the floor of Parliament yesterday.
To emphasize the distinction even more, he added that as long as he is at Acharnon (i.e. where the ministry is headquartered), "the only ones who have something to fear are the crooks and the supporters of the old system", because "I am the guarantor and supporter of the new system".
Nikos Androulakis, present in the chamber, showed reflexes: "Why don't you speak with names? Why don't you say that those before you were Mr. Voridis and Mr. Avgenakis?".
And not only that: the government accused the opposition of "exaggeration" because it requested the withdrawal of article 74 from the "Schoinas bill", however during the session the minister announced "improving provisions".
"Since you told us that we are exaggerating, why are you bringing improvements?", the president of PASOK asked him, but the answer referred to the new page being turned at the troubled "agriculture" ministry by its new occupant.
For the record, the entire opposition reacted to the article in question, saying that it legalizes retroactively declarations for grazing land, even in cases where the corresponding animals did not exist, while it also appears to be linked to pending court cases concerning OPEKEPE. According to the same accusation, this article excludes forest map data from the clearance of these years.
Mr. Schoinas assured that through the improving provisions the checks will continue normally even in the cases falling under the article, but it was not convinced…
SHIPPING: The Greek shipping market is leading in the latest deals for suezmaxes, as the rise in tanker values is creating new benchmarks.
Almi Tankers, interests of the Fostiropoulos family, is said to have secured $90-91 million for the 157,800 dwt Almi Galaxy, built in 2012 by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.
The vessel, which is expected to undergo a special survey in early 2027, is valued by VesselsValue and Signal Ocean at less than $80 million. Almi was asking $82 million last week, but is said to have raised the price due to competition.
If confirmed, this will be the first sale of an Almi tanker in four years. The company has 13 VLCCs and suezmaxes, built in 2011-2018.
At the same time, Spain's Ibaizabal is said to have sold the 159,400 dwt Montestena (2012) for $85-87 million, while Greek interest is also being recorded in purchases.
Evalend is said to have acquired the 165,000 dwt Stella (2011) for at least $80 million, while brokers also link a Greek buyer with the 150,700 dwt Graff (2001), at $43-45 million.
Activity in suezmaxes is being boosted by Middle Eastern oil producers and traders, who are seeking ships for routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
FRANGOU: Navios Maritime Partners of Angeliki Frangou secured multi-year charters for two newbuilding MR product tankers.
According to brokers, the two vessels, with a capacity of 51,000 dwt, Nave Galileo and Nave Asteriks, which are being built at the Japanese shipyard Minaminippon and will be delivered in 2027, were chartered by American Phillips 66 for five years, at a daily rate of $24,000.
Navios has a total of four similar tankers under construction at this shipyard. One of the two being delivered this year has already been chartered by Chevron for five years, also at $24,000 per day.
At the same time, Alibra Shipping raised its estimates for MRs in the Atlantic, with annual charters set at $37,500 and five-year charters at $25,500 per day. BRS records a deal for a modern MR at $35,000 per day.
CONSTRUCTION: Lately, a lot has been heard in the market about groups with high debt and limited liquidity. Various things are also being said about Aktor, with Alexandros Exarchou choosing to respond yesterday not only with words, but also with numbers.
As regards liabilities, he focused on the group's net debt, which stands at 429 million euros, or 1.9 times EBITDA of the last twelve months on a pro forma basis. At the same time, cash reserves exceed 1 billion euros.
On the projects front, he recalled that the group has delivered projects on schedule, such as the Thessaloniki Metro and the Patra-Pyrgos road axis.
And because, as it seems, numbers have their own value when rumors are circulating, Mr. Exarchou took the discussion one step further: to the 1 billion euros that the group raised in the summer.
"Do you sincerely believe that three of the largest banks in the world, which agreed to provide underwriting to AKTOR, conducted due diligence, found AKTOR incapable of completing its payments and nevertheless proceeded and raised one billion? And not only did they raise one billion, but they guaranteed to put it in themselves?", was his question.
According to him, therefore, the rumors do not correspond to the picture presented by the financial data, and he spoke of "rumors which are being spread with intent, in order to undermine the effort we are making".
The market, of course, has its own way of judging numbers. And usually, time is what gives the clearest answers.
CONSTRUCTION II: The discussion with journalists was not limited, however, to the group's financial figures. The more sensitive issues were also put on the table.
The CEO of AKTOR was asked, among other things, about the way in which the tender for the "Eleftherios Venizelos" airport was stopped, at a time when the group was claiming the project in a consortium with a Turkish company.
"I take as given what I am officially told. And what I am officially told is that along the way the airport changed its mind and no longer wanted this technical solution and will choose another one", he said.
And what about the possibility that this change is linked to the Turkish participation in the consortium? Mr. Exarchou did not rule it out, but clarified that this is not the official explanation he has received.
"If the reason why they chose to alter the technical solution and delay the project for as long as they will delay it was that they did not want a Turkish partner, possibly. But they are not saying that".
For him, therefore, the official version is different: "They judged, for some reason, that the technical solution they had decided to follow no longer suits them and they want another one. That's it".
METLEN: The reduction of open short positions in the stock of Evangelos Mytilineos continues. According to the latest update, on September 18 the Aggregate Net Short Position (ANSP) was reduced to 7.89% from 8.16%.
This reduction corresponds to 387,251 shares.
AVAX: The delegated advisor and executive member of the board of directors Antonis Mitzalis proceeded on Wednesday with purchases of shares in the listed company.
Mr. Mitzalis bought 10,000 shares of the company, paying a total of 32,206 euros.
ALTER EGO MEDIA: The stock presented a particularly positive picture yesterday, closing up 2.34% at 6.55 euros with a noticeably increased trading volume.
The column is informed that the move is anything but random. The road show in London, which took place with Edison, went particularly well, with a series of meetings with foreign institutional investors and strong interest in the group's growth course and prospects.
It had been preceded, moreover, by the upgrade of the fair value for the stock to 7.30 euros by Edison analyst Russell Pointon, after the strong half-year results.
Information says that there is already interest from foreign portfolios, something that seems to be beginning to be reflected in trading as well.
And contacts with the international investment community continue…
EYDAP: The water company returned to profits of 17.1 million euros in the first half of 2026, versus a loss of 5.6 million euros last year. The reason is almost exclusively the new regulated tariff: the volume of water remained stable, the cost as well, and the price increase passed almost directly into the result.
Noteworthy is the fact that total consumption decreased by 1.7% and billed consumption by 0.1%.
BALLY’S INTRALOT: The stock took a deep breath in yesterday's session despite the clouds that had spread over Euronext Athens.
The stock rose to 1.12 euros or 4.38% higher in a session with transactions of 7.25 million euros. In the recent period it had followed a "sideways" movement with limited fluctuations. The year's high is 1.21 euros from the end of June.
The stock was boosted by the Barclays report which initiated coverage with an overweight recommendation and a target price of 1.4 euros. It is the house's preferred choice in the crash test with Allwyn, on which it also initiated coverage with a recommendation, however Equal Weight and a target price of 14 euros.
The latter yesterday closed down 0.5% at 12.04 euros.
JUMBO: The company showed strong cash flow generation in the half-year, a performance that now has greater investment significance for the stock, due to the noteworthy dividend yield shaped by the continuous regular and extraordinary cash distributions.
Net cash flows from operating activities amounted to 79.6 million euros and were strengthened by 7.6 million euros from the positive cash flows of investing activities. The 87.2 million euros more than covered the use of 67.1 million euros for the payment of an extraordinary cash distribution, strengthening cash reserves by 13.36 million euros.
On June 30 cash reserves amounted to 547.9 million euros, while in the third quarter they decreased by 94 million euros from the distribution of the regular dividend for fiscal year 2025 (0.70 euros per share).
It is recalled that the Board of Directors of Jumbo is expected to decide on a new extraordinary cash distribution, amounting to 134 million euros (i.e. 1 euro per share), with an indicative ex-dividend date on November 16.
Analysts, however, estimate that the generation of strong cash flows continues in the current second half as the group showed, in the two-month period July-August, a slight acceleration in the sales growth rate, while the June 30 figures show that it maintained sufficient inventories.
More specifically, the group's inventories on June 30 amounted to 325.76 million euros, corresponding to 17.22% of its assets, versus 16.58% on 31/12/2025.
JUMBO II: Greece maintained growth, but Romania slowed noticeably in the first half. Sales in the country fell 6.5% to 90.1 million euros. Operating profit fell even more, by 18%, from 24.5 million euros to 20.1 million euros.
Management attributes the pressure to three factors: the increase in VAT from 19% to 21%, which the group chose to absorb rather than pass on to prices, the depreciation of the leu and high inflation.
Romania's share in profits fell from 17.0% to 13.5%. Despite this, the target of doubling the stores there over a ten-year horizon remains.
PRODEA: The transaction for the sale of 49% of Prodea's Logistics real estate sector to the Invel Investments Cyprus (30.35%) and LGT Capital Partners (18.65%) scheme has recapitalization characteristics with the entry of minority shareholders (minority recapitalization).
The listed company retains 51% of Cyprus-based Logeon and with it the strategic and operational responsibility of the subsidiary, continues to assume the largest part of the investment risk and participates materially in future outperformance.
The agreement for the sale of 49%, signed on August 6, provides for a consideration of 31 million euros, which is at a discount compared to the value of the real estate portfolio as of December 31, 2025, due to the long-term leases expiring beyond 8 years that the properties carry, the management of the real estate portfolio by Prodea and the fact that Prodea retains control of Logeon (i.e. it holds 51%).
PRODEA II: Logeon controls, through its 100% subsidiary Thriasefs, six leased properties for logistic services, with a total gross area of 139,000 sq.m., which generate rental income of around 8 million euros annually and on 31/12/2025 had a fair value of 120 million euros.
Additionally, the agreement includes projects with a total area of more than 140 thousand sq.m. which are expected to be delivered gradually by the end of 2027. The net position of the Logistics real estate sector amounted on 31/3/2026, the transformation balance sheet date for their spin-off, to 38 million euros.
The consideration for the transfer of 49% breaks down into an initial part (i.e. about two thirds) and a deferred part, which must be paid by May 21, 2027 or earlier if a transfer of shares to a third investor intervenes.
Based on the business plan on which the agreement for the transfer of 49% is based, Logeon will not distribute a dividend during the first two years.