The increased trading activity evident over recent days continued in selected equities this morning.
In the banking sector, the share prices of Bank of Valletta plc, HSBC Bank Malta plc and Lombard Bank Malta plc also closed higher while the US Dollar denominated equity of FIMBank plc shed 10.4% per cent to close at a new seven-year low of US$0.67 level on two trades totalling 14,000 shares.
The trade finance specialist will shortly update the market on developments that have taken place since the half-year end through an interim statement which is expected to be published by the second week of November.
HSBC Malta edged 0.8 per cent higher to €2.66 on volumes amounting to almost 11,000 shares with BOV's equity edging marginally higher to €2.46 across 16 trades totalling 20,350 shares.
This morning the bank announced that its board of directors is scheduled to meet on October 28 to approve the group's preliminary results covering the financial year ended September 30 as well as to consider the payment of a final dividend.
Increased volumes were registered in the equity of Lombard Bank with the share price moving 1.1 per cent higher to close at a new three-month high of €2.75 across four trades totalling 22,000 shares.
Meanwhile International Hotel Investments plc and Malta International Airport plc closed unchanged at 81c5 and €1.70 respectively.
A total of 18,874 IHI shares changed hands today with MIA holding on to its three-month high of €1.70 on continued high volumes totalling 24,952 shares.
GO plc's share price slid 4.6 per cent back to its all-time low of €1.05 on volumes of just over 4,000 shares.
The year-to-date drop in GO's equity of 45.7 per cent reflects the widening losses at Forthnet which offset the growing local operations and resulted in a lower dividend payment with respect to the 2010 financial year.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index gained 0.6 per cent to 986.088 points reflecting the sharp drop in yields back to just above the two per cent level from a three-month high of 2.256 per cent registered yesterday after comments made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel over the ability of European leaders to solve the debt crisis.
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