BoV up on week

Bank of Valletta got stronger this week in anticipation of the publication of the Group's Audited Financial Statements for the financial year ended September 30, 2005.

The Bank's shares opened at Lm5.75 on Monday and went up to close yesterday's session at Lm 5.81, equal to a gain of 6c on the previous week's closing position.

In the interim, the equity reached a weekly high of Lm5.985.

A total of 37,269 shares changed hands during the week, spread over 108 deals.

Following the close of business yesterday, best bids for 1,430 shares at Lm5.81 stood against best offers of 3,979 shares at Lm5.90.

HSBC's shares eased back on gains made in the previous week after trading in the equity opened at Lm6.455 on Monday, went down to Lm6.25 during the week before going up again to end the week's trading at Lm6.38; thus representing a drop of 7c5 (1.162 per cent).

Sixty-nine deals were struck during the week, over which 85,767 shares were traded.

This volume includes two put-throughs amounting to 52,000 shares, transacted during Monday's (2,000) and Thursday's (50,000) trading sessions.

Best bids for 300 shares at Lm6.279 and best offers of 2,000 shares at Lm6.38 remained unsatisfied as yesterday's session drew to a close.

Meanwhile, Maltacom shares saw trading open at Lm1.561 on Monday, range between Lm1.56 and Lm1.60 during the week before coming to a close at Lm1.595 yesterday.

This marked an increase of 2c5 on the previous week's closing.

Weekly turnover amounted to 62,293 shares changing hands over 58 deals.

After yesterday's trading session drew to a close, best bids for 1,000 shares at Lm1.591 and best offers of 5,000 shares at Lm1.60 remained unsatisfied.

In a company announcement issued yesterday, International Hotels Investments plc announced that the board of directors is scheduled to meet on Thursday to approve the Financial Statements for the period ended June 30, 2005.

The other equities which traded during the week, together with the range in which trading took place: 11,985 Lombard Bank shares between Lm7.00 and Lm7.05; 5,375 Middlesea Insurance shares between Lm3.33 and Lm3.37; 17,900 Simonds Farsons Cisk shares between Lm0.799 and Lm0.811; 95,100 International Hotel Investments shares between €0.89 and €0.90; 50,000 FIMBank shares between USD1.80 and USD1.84; 19,979 Malta International Airport shares between Lm1.392 and Lm1.405; 3,750 Global Financial Services shares between Lm1.285 and Lm1.29 and 13,300 Datatrak shares between Lm0.37 and Lm0.40.

Total Malta Government Stock turnover amounted to a nominal value of Lm1,613,400 being traded in eighty-one deals over 20 different stocks for a total market value of Lm1,838,672.

Meanwhile, trading over the week in corporate bonds was made up of a total value of Lm139,771, bringing the total market value transacted during the week to Lm1,978,44.

In a press release issued yesterday, the accountant general announced that no further stock issues are envisaged for the current year.

Originally, in the Indicative Government Securities Issuance Calendar for 2005 published in January, an MGS issue was projected for October this year.

The Malta Stock Exchange share index increased by 5.318 points or 0.13 per cent over the week and now stands at 4,099.243.

Azzopardi Investment Management Limited is licensed by the MFSA to provide investment services, including stockbroking. The directors or related parties, including the company and their clients, are likely to have an interest in securities mentioned. This article is only meant to provide information and is not intended to give investment advice. The value of securities, and the currencies in which they are denominated, may go down as well as up.