LONDON – Markets remained hopeful Wednesday that a long-awaited deal to allow Greece to claim its second bailout was near despite another delay to discussions between the country’s political leaders.
Stocks were generally firmer, while the euro was trading near two-month highs, as investors awaited the latest developments in Athens. Though a host of deadlines have passed without agreement, the prevailing view in the markets is that a deal for Greece to get its hands on euro130 billion ($170 billion) will be secured.
“Optimism that a deal will be reached has risen in recent days, though clearly that optimism remains vulnerable to unexpected developments,” said Nick Bennenbroek, an analyst at Wells Fargo Bank.
In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was unchanged at 5,890 while Germany’s DAX rose 0.5 percent to 6,785. The CAC-40 in France was 0.4 percent higher at 3,424.
The euro was also fairly subdued, trading flat at $1.3253, having earlier hit a two-month high of $1.3289.
In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was up 0.1 percent at 12,885 while the broader Standard Poor’s 500 index rose 0.2 percent to 1,350.
The focus in the markets remains centered on Athens as Greek coalition leaders study a draft
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