Market sentiment points to deal between Greece, European partners

The meteoric rise of the ASE leaves a sweet taste in investors’ mouths

The Athens Stock Exchange posted an impressive 8.5% rise of its general index on Tuesday, a sign that investors are confident of a looming deal between the Greek government and European lenders.

 

A Eurogroup meeting is set for on Wednesday, with eurozone finance ministers expecting their Greek counterpar, Yanis Varoufakis, to present Athens’ proposal to ensure that Greek state coffers have access to financing after a previous bailout package — and the strings attached — expire on Feb. 28.

 

The Greek Finance minister has already outlined the main axes on which the Tsipras government will base its proposal.

 

The “280 billion-euro question” is whether the new Greek government’s “retooling” of its previous “rock hard” campaign pledges, including a support of 70-percent of the one villified “memorandum”, will be enough to achieve an agreement between Greece and its European partners.

 

On the other side of the negotiating table, it remains to be seen how much Germany and Angela Merkel are willing to budge from Berlin’s seemingly immoveable positions.