Investors, too, have braced for another difficult week. From New York and Seoul to Paris and Frankfurt developments point to continued uncertainty and volatility across oil, bond and equity markets.
On Wall Street, attention remains focused on third-quarter and nine-month results, and on expectations for decisions by Fed policymakers at their 27-28 October meeting.
In Seoul, traders are focused on interest-rate policy, after concerns about technology groups intensified over the past week.
In Frankfurt, Paris and across European markets, sentiment is weighed down by the failure to find common ground on energy and the EU budget. In Paris, the mood is further clouded by events on the political front in recent days.
France’s 10-year yield stands at 4.8%, a reminder that the next government of Europe’s second-largest economy will have to raise 340bn from the markets in 2027. Public debt stood at 3.595tn at the end of June 2026, according to France’s statistics agency, INSEE.
Israel’s 27 October election is another factor, with many analysts viewing it as the most critical since 1948.
Then there are the almost simultaneous meetings of the Fed (27-28 October) and the ECB (28-29 October).
With all this (and more), one thing is certain: traders will not be short of action, with volatility likely to be one of the main features of the sessions ahead. S&P 500 futures are up more than 0.80%, with attention on results due tomorrow from GE Aerospace, General Motors and Philip Morris before the market opens, followed by Intuitive Surgical and Netflix after the close.
On Euronext Athens, the session begins with the General Index at 2,613.49 points. The obvious question is whether last week’s rebound was a pause after three consecutive weeks of correction or a prelude to stabilisation around the broader 2,600-point area. The banking sector is key, with the Banking Index at 3,032.81 points, alongside a significant contribution from selected leading blue chips.
Given the high proportion of bank shares held by foreign investors, the Banking Index’s performance is significantly correlated with the broader European trend and movements in the EuroStoxx Banks.
The Bank of Greece’s decision may support long positions: the four systemic banks will face no additional capital requirements in 2027. The additional capital buffer remains at 1% for Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece and Piraeus Bank, and for Eurobank on a standalone basis. For Eurobank on a consolidated basis, the ratio remains at 1.25%.
The FTSE 25 stands at 6,684.97 points, with Friday’s return of buyers to several leading blue chips encouraging for those holding long positions.
Allwyn (12.30), Metlen (48.88), Cenergy Holdings (22.28), HelleniQ Energy (19.64), PPC (22.60) are the main stocks to watch today.