Week closes on dull session

Traders were idle for most of yesterday's trading session, as investors shied away from local investments quoted on the Malta Stock Exchange.

HSBC Bank Malta was the day's most voluminously traded stock with 5,300 shares being transacted across eight deals. Early trades saw the price decline 0.4 per cent to touch Lm4.81c, its lowest level in 10 weeks but the price later recouped slightly, although it still ended the day fractionally lower at Lm4.82c9.

A total of 2,500 Bank of Valletta shares were struck across five transactions between Lm4.82c and its closing level of Lm4.84c. Just like in HSBC shares, buyers seem to be outnumbered by sellers, and are using this knowledge to their advantage by placing bids in the market at their selected levels.

Two investors swapped among themselves 2,281 shares of International Hotel Investments at the previously traded level of €0.78c.

Simonds Farsons Cisk shares continued to trade at the Lm1 level. None of the shares on offer have been priced lower over the past few days, forcing bidders to up their limits instead. During yesterday's session a total of 530 shares were exchanged across two transactions.