During the trading session held today, four different equities traded higher. However, the MSE Share Index eased minimally lower as the declines in the share prices of Bank of Valletta plc as well as Crimsonwing plc and Island Hotels Group Holdings plc offset the gains in the 4 equities.
The share price of Bank of Valletta plc dropped 0.4% to the €2.40 level on the last day for the entitlement to the 1 for 9 bonus share issue. Just over 35,000 shares changed hands today with the equity turning ex-bonus as from tomorrow. The new shares will be issued on Thursday 17 January 2013 with trading expected to commence shortly afterwards.
Meanwhile, HSBC Bank Malta plc failed to hold onto an intra-day high of €2.75 and closed the day unchanged at the €2.74 level across nine trades totalling 40,413 shares. Similarly, Lombard Bank Malta plc traded unchanged at the €1.86 level on volumes of 5,100 shares.
GO plc’s equity traded higher for the second consecutive session with another 0.8% increase to the €1.23 level across 5,000 shares. Positive movements were also registered in the equity of Malita Investments plc with a 2% increase to the €0.52 level on a single deal of 14,000 shares. Likewise, MaltaPost plc’s shares ended this morning’s trading session with a 2.2% gain to a new 8-month high of €0.94 across three trades totalling 11,000 shares.
On the IT front, RS2 Software plc climbed 3.7% to another new all-time high of €0.85 on volumes of 15,549 shares. On the other hand, Crimsonwing plc gave back some of its recent gains as its share price eased 3.5% lower to the €0.55 level on volumes of 26,000 shares.
The share price of Island Hotels Group Holdings plc dropped 1.4% to the €0.69 level on low volumes of 2,100 shares.
On the other hand, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc recovered from an intra-day low of €2.48 to close unchanged at the €2.50 level on volumes of 6,626 shares with further buyers remaining unsatisfied at the €2.50. Similarly, MIDI plc closed unchanged at the €0.275 level on high volumes of 200,500 shares.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index reached yet another 26-month high of 1,008.248 points as benchmark 10-year German Bund yields slid back below the 1.55% on renewed appetite for the ‘safe-haven paper’ following last Friday’s sell-off and more importantly the disappointing data published today. Factory output in the Eurozone dropped by a more-than-expected 0.3% during the month of November 2012.