ATHENS: Greece bank stocks tumbled for a second day after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he was stepping down to seek a new mandate in elections.
The four biggest lenders — National Bank of Greece SA, Piraeus Bank SA, Eurobank Ergasias SA and Alpha Bank AE — all opened lower in Athens trading, extending Thursday’s losses.
National Bank of Greece, the country’s largest lender, fell 7.4 percent and was down 1.6 percent at 10:39 a.m. in Athens. The Stoxx Europe 600 Banks Index was trading 0.9 percent lower.
Tsipras said late Thursday that he would step down after eight months in power amid division in his anti-austerity party over the terms of the country’s new bailout. His resignation paves the way for early elections.
