Hello, yesterday’s event of the day—excuse me, but it’s not… yesterday’s but rather the night before last, to be precise. Because when 60 (or so they tell me, maybe 66—I didn’t count them) ND MPs gather on days like these at a typical—very typical—event by Dendias (who decided to change the Pentagon memorial from that of Floros as it was in bad taste), well, that says something. Especially when the event is graced by the presence of distinguished personalities of the party and politics, such as Kostas Karamanlis (Rafina), Antonis Samaras, and Prokopis Pavlopoulos, but even Agapidaki, who, if not for Mitsotakis, we’d… be seeing her for some psychoanalysis at her office, if you get my drift. Now, you might ask me directly (or indirectly, I don’t mind): does this constitute a political event against Mitsotakis or at least a jab at him? I answer: as for the likable Ms. Agapidaki, not at all, she didn’t even think about it. But don’t tell me that Samaras, who used to hear Dendias’ name and… break out in hives, wasn’t there on purpose? Look, an extremely well-informed source of mine, blue-leaning but not Maximos-aligned, told me yesterday: “Nikos is now in the succession game, especially since we’re halfway through the second term and Mitsotakis opened up the field with Chatzidakis and Pierrakakis.” And the polls aren’t going great either. The logic is that “he might be able to secure more seats in the future than Mitsotakis, so MPs have started listening to theories about a new leader, etc.” E and the polls aren’t going great either. The logic is that “he might be able to secure more seats in the future than Mitsotakis, so MPs have started listening to theories about a new leader, etc.” To confess my sin, I’m writing this nice story my source told me, but I neither swear by its accuracy nor claim that Nikos himself is saying it. But that Dendias is a suitor for ND—well, we’ve all known that here for three years. Only at M.M. did they pretend not to see it… Anyway, first, I don’t consider it a bad thing, and second, all of this is somewhat relative, because the ball is (still) in Mitsotakis’ court, and no one else’s, and the game has a long way to go.

The question from the “11” blues that doesn’t go to Gerapetritis and Dendias

You can’t complain. We had informed you in time (since Wednesday) about the movement observed lately in the ND parliamentary group. Just as we had told you—in detail—about the 11 blue MPs, who, under Evripidis Stylianidis, were preparing a question regarding suspicious property purchases by Turkish citizens in border areas of our country. The question was officially submitted to Parliament yesterday, and the truth is that it seeks to highlight a critical and sensitive issue without an opposition stance. What struck me, however, is that the question, despite concerning extremely sensitive national and defense issues, is not addressed to the Minister of National Defense or the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but to eight others, including those of Rural Development, Justice, and Shipping! Since they seemed somewhat unrelated to the topic, I decided to ask. What they (the MPs) told me is that an informal intra-party rule requires them to inform the parliamentary group secretary before submitting questions to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defense, and that they did not want to inform about their initiative or seek approval.

Serious issue

However, the issue raised in their question is serious. If their concerns about an organized plan by the neighboring country to acquire properties in Thrace and the Eastern Aegean are valid—which to some extent they seem to be, as the relevant services of the NIS have already been activated—then a correction of the institutional “backdoor” opened in 2011 under GAP will certainly be needed. As the MPs point out, the main problem with the current legal framework is that the transfer of properties in border or even “defense” areas to companies is allowed with the sole requirement of checking the registered office of the legal entities and not the nationality or ethnicity of the individuals controlling them.

The mix of MPs

There is also something else I noticed. The individuals who signed the new question are a mix of those who had previously made the two previous “blue” parliamentary strikes. I am referring to the question about red loans submitted last September, which triggered an “alarm” at Maximos Mansion, as well as the question from the “8” that followed a month later regarding low-income pensioners. Specifically, Evripidis Stylianidis, Giorgos Vlachos, Theodoros Karaoglou, and Maximos Charakopoulos had signed the “red loans” question, while Miltos Chrysomallis, Giorgos Karasmanis, Babis Athanasiou, Anastasios Dimoschakis, Theofilos Leontaridis, and Giannis Paschalidis had signed the pensions question. A new addition is Manos Konsolas. Some from those first groups have been promoted, such as Nikitas Kaklamanis, who became President of Parliament, as well as Thanasis Davakis and Anna Karamanli, who joined the government.

The big heads of Coca Cola are coming to Athens

All the big heads of Coca Cola will gather in Athens next week. We are talking about a total of 500 people, meaning the entire management, and of course, present will be David and our own from 3E Coca Cola. The reason is the annual Coca Cola conference, which takes place in a different country each year, and this time, it’s our turn. Since we are talking about 500 people, they have booked the entire Hyatt on Syngrou Avenue, which has 548 rooms and suites, while the simultaneous management of so many people creates some issues that require special solutions, such as, for example, the lunch arrangements, which will be enjoyed in groups. The conference will take place on April 1, 2, and 3 and will feature three evening events. The first will be on Tuesday at Zappeion, the second on Wednesday at the Panathenaic Stadium, and the third on Thursday at Domes in Glyfada.

A story of Greek madness with 100 tons of public documents!

Unbelievable but entirely Greek. Two years ago, the Gaming Commission rented a historic building in Athens, owned by eEFKA, to house its offices as it was relocating from Vathi Square. The property is located at 8-10 Voulis Street (where the well-known pastry shop Ariston is) and has been classified as a preserved building, bearing the signatures of architects L. Bonis and E. Lazaridis. However, until today, the Commission could not proceed with its utilization because inside the building were public documents accumulated over decades, weighing a total of 100 tons! Despite the large volume and weight, they could have been removed relatively quickly, but with the Public Sector, it is never that simple. It took two whole years and overcoming major bureaucratic hurdles to review and transfer the documents. Thus, only a few days ago, after the building was finally emptied, the Hellenic Gaming Commission gave the green light for the first restoration works to begin, as the building is in poor condition. It will, of course, take some more time, but at least the first step has been taken.

The “checkmarks” for the Athens Stock Exchange upgrade by FTSE

The time has come for FTSE Russell to make announcements regarding the status of the Greek capital market. Last October, the agency placed the Athens Stock Exchange on its watch list for a possible upgrade from advanced emerging market status to that of a developed market. So, on April 8, the relevant announcements will be made regarding the next steps, mainly the timeline for the upgrade. Officials from the Hellenic Exchanges said that the Stock Exchange has “checked all the boxes,” meaning it meets the requirements, and the only question now is when the upgrade will be scheduled. However, when the market’s promotion happens, it will be the first step in a long process, as a full upgrade requires approval from all four major rating agencies: FTSE Russell, MSCI, S&P Dow Jones Indices, and Eurostoxx. It is worth noting that last August, S&P DJI (Dow Jones Indices) included the Athens Stock Exchange on its 2025 watch list, when the final decision on its return to the developed market category will be made. In anticipation of the positive news, preliminary moves are already evident on the board in heavy-weight stocks of the Athens Stock Exchange. It is estimated that the upgrade of the Athens Stock Exchange will gradually attract foreign investment funds exceeding 2 billion euros, enhancing liquidity and the depth of the Greek market.

The Debut of Fais

On the sidelines of the event for the introduction of Fais Group to the Stock Exchange, there was also discussion about the group’s plan to expand both domestically and abroad, with the addition of about 50 new stores by 2030. The debut of the stock coincided with a difficult session at the Athens Exchange, and thus it closed below the offering price at €4.57.

The Packages of Ideal Holding – Signatures with CVC on Monday

There was significant activity in yesterday’s session also in the shares of Ideal, as 5.56% of its share capital changed hands and the stock closed at €6.44 (+2.22%). The transactions involved placements by foreign institutional investors following the agreement with OakHill and the roadshow that took place. The purchase of 4% by OakHill will take place in April. Initially, 2.5% will be acquired with the signing of the agreement, and the remaining 1.5% will be completed in the next 3-4 months. In total, about 10% of Ideal’s shares will change hands. Additionally, the signing of the agreement with CVC for the purchase of Barba Stathis will take place on Monday, March 31st.

Stock Market Expectations for April and Why Piraeus Bank Stood Out

The first quarter of the year will end next Monday, with the General Index holding firmly above 1,700 points. April comes with fears and expectations. Over the last 11 years, 10 Aprils closed with a positive sign for the Athens Stock Exchange. Notably, April 2020 saw a return of +12.5%, but this came after the -25% drop in March 2020 at the peak of the pandemic crisis. However, the other 9 Aprils delivered gains for the General Index. Yesterday, everything seemed to indicate a “correction.” The international climate, with Trump’s announcements, was negative, and the General Index seemed to be sliding down to 1,734 points (-0.72%). The Banking Index lost -1.03%, but in the end, the General Index rebounded to 1,746.18 points (-0.03%). The Piraeus stock seemed to “signal” a placement, as it moved initially in the opposite direction to all the other banking stocks and the market sentiment, ultimately closing with a +1.47% gain at €5.522. TITAN, with the surprise (1€+2€=)3€ cash dividend, rose to €43.95 (+3.9%). Metlen, with high-profile visitors in Boeotia, reached a new historic high of €42.64, while optimism was also shared by DAA (+2.29%) at €9.39. Since other banks were unable to provide support yesterday, the necessary support to the General Index came from OPAP (+1.41%) at €18.76 and OTE (+1.1%) at €15.52.

Something is Happening with Piraeus Port (OLP) – Moves Indicating New Strategic Moves

All stocks struggled yesterday to find their balance amid the storm of Trump’s tariffs, but the flagship of our ports, the stock of Piraeus Port Authority (OLP), was reaching new highs, at €35 (+2.64%), with the market capitalization reaching €875 million, as 12,331 shares changed hands. The “suspicious silence” at the northern ports, as neither the Dreyfus side has returned to claim 20.98% of OTH, nor Belterra has continued its share purchases in OTH, hints at new strategic moves. The case of the Volos Port Authority is still pending. Amid all this, on the upcoming Monday, March 31st, the management of the Piraeus Port Authority is expected to announce the 2024 figures as well as the 2025 dividend. It is reminded that last year they distributed €1.34 per share as a reward.

New Listing on the Athens Stock Exchange’s EN.A. Market

Another relatively small Greek company starts its journey on the Greek stock market. TREK Development, founded in 1995, focuses on Infrastructure Development, primarily in the Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors, as well as providing Technical Assistance and Project Financing services. It is a construction and consulting company, with a subsidiary in Germany, and a turnover of over €3 million, which it aims to more than double this year. The company has submitted its documentation to the management of the Stock Exchange and is preparing to enter the Alternative Market in the summer, through the traditional method of placing existing shares. New developments in the European defense industry seem to favor the company, and it remains to be seen how this will reflect in the business plan it will present to justify a market valuation of around €12 million.

Tennis Court and Greenhouse at Tatoi

The new gardens in the former royal estate of Tatoi will include a tennis court as well as a greenhouse. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture has issued an invitation for submitting bids until March 31st for the “restoration and enhancement study” concerning these two spaces—the greenhouse and the tennis court in the garden area of the Summer Palace in the former royal estate. The project’s budget, which is part of the broader plan for the restoration and promotion of the Tatoi Palace Gardens, amounts to €31,620, including VAT. It is noted that the intervention area for the restoration study of the Tatoi gardens covers 34 acres. One level of the gardens is at the highest point, containing the features directly related to the Palace, including the wide double marble staircase leading to the lower level of the gardens. The immediately lower level, which includes the fountain and swimming pool, was built in the 1950s. From this level and below, the central Avenue of the Gardens is laid out, with paths on both sides arranged in concentric circles, with additional circular hubs. Centrally and east of the Avenue, the design supports walking logic, while in the western area of the Avenue, functional spaces such as the greenhouse and tennis court are located.

Artificial Intelligence in Marketing – Bad News for Graphic Designers

New “photo edit” tools, such as the one launched by OpenAI a few days ago, following Google’s Gemini launch a few weeks ago, are causing a real disruption in the marketing market, which in the US is estimated to be worth $250 billion annually. Thanks to artificial intelligence, marketers can now create, modify, and adjust images in seconds, without needing a specialized designer or complex graphic design tools. This drastically reduces content production costs by up to 70% and increases campaign speed by up to 5 times! This innovation aligns with the rising trend of “vibe marketing,” where the emotional connection with the user through visuals is more important than the classic product-message. Additionally, the ability to integrate AI agents & workflows allows the full automation of advertising and product promotion campaigns. Now, small teams or startups can compete with large organizations, radically reshaping the marketing ecosystem.

Used Car Ads Have Already Started in the USA

The 25% tariffs on cars not fully manufactured in the USA have opened the door for the used car market. These new tariffs will affect both cars and auto parts imported into the USA. Since there are no cars made 100% with parts from the USA, the cost of purchasing a new car will rise by $3,000 to $12,500. The new regime is giving a “lifeline” to the used car market in the US, which has been struggling in recent years. Ford, GM, Stellantis, Tesla, and other US automakers source and assemble cars/parts in Canada and Mexico. Even “American car manufacturers” will be significantly impacted by the 25% tariffs that have been announced. All of this comes at a time when the percentage of “bad” car loans, with delays of more than 90 days, in the US reached 3% in Q4 2024, the highest in the last 14 years. Car loan defaults have now surpassed the levels of the 2001 recession and the 2020 crisis.