The equity of the IT company Crimsonwing plc held on to its 20-month high of 38c on sustained high volumes of 76,325 shares.
Trading activity in the IT equity has increased since the publication of an interview with the CEO David Walsh in which he revealed that the group is expected to report improved performances in the present financial year and should reach a pre-tax profit of €2 million by the next financial year ending March 31.
A total of 239,640 shares (representing 0.8 per cent of the issued shares of the Crimsonwing Group) have traded since the publication of the interview on October 22 which was replicated by a company announcement a few days later.
Meanwhile, the two large banking equities extended their recent declines.
HSBC Bank Malta plc shed a further two per cent to €2.65 across four trades totalling 10,000 shares.
Bank of Valletta plc recovered from an intra-day low of €2.39 to close just minimally lower at the €2.39,9 level despite still trading with the entitlement to the final gross dividend of 13c per share and a one for nine bonus share issue.
20,850 BOV shares traded today with fresh bidders already in the market at the €2.40 level.
The declines in BOV and HSBC pushed the MSE Share Index a further 0.6 per cent lower to end the day at 3,113.982 points – close to its seven-week low.
Elsewhere in the local equity market, the share price of International Hotel Investments plc ended this morning's session unchanged at 82c after easing from an intra-day high of 85c on low volumes of 5,298 shares.
Malta International Airport plc also closed unchanged at the €1.75 level across four trades totalling 20,000 shares. The airport operator is expected to publish the October traffic results sometime this week.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index eased minimally lower for the first time in the last four sessions to 997.754 points as Eurozone yields stabilised at just above 1.42 per cent.
International markets are currently focused on the outcome of the US Presidential election.
In the meantime, concerns over Greece and Spain are increasing. Greece is facing industrial action in anticipation of a parliamentary vote on a further austerity package while Spain is being pressured to request a bailout on increased speculation of worse-than-expected economic performance.