Several officers protected the entrance to the main offices but their presence was superfluous. The market notched up a six-point gain at the outset of 448.31 points and kept climbing until it closed at 470.41. Traders had predicted before the session started that investors would be on the buy side. But some traders said it was early to predict that the market had entered a buy cycle. It is not something we can foretell.
Prices are at very attractive levels so some investors took the chance and bought.
Traders said buyers included both institutional and private investors. Cash squeezes and rumours of influential players wanting to stitch up smaller investors by pressuring prices have angered many. Investors' association Pasecha has said its members had the impression the recent dive in prices was artificial. Pasecha vice-chairman Kypros Protopapas told reporters that yesterday's gathering was one of a series of measures planned to show authorities that the group would not tolerate the situation any further. Small and medium cap shares, which were the first casualties of the downturn this week, registered the highest gains.