Most of the active equities during this morning’s session traded higher helping the MSE Share Index rise by 0.3 per cent to a new six-week high of 3,258.405 points.
Amongst the larger companies, Bank of Valletta plc partially recovered from yesterday’s 0.9 per cent drop as the bank’s share price ended this morning’s session 0.2 per cent higher at the €2.26,5 level after failing to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.28 across more than 19,800 shares.
The share price of Malta International Airport plc edged 0.8 per cent higher to regain the €1.79 level on volumes of 36,500 shares. The airport operator is scheduled to publish its 2012 full-year results on March 20.
GO plc shares also closed in positive territory with a 0.4 per cent increase to regain its 18-month high of €1.38,5 across three trades totalling 4,000 shares.
The IT equity of 6pm Holdings plc added a further 2.5 per cent following yesterday’s 38 per cent jump to end today’s session at yet another 21-month high of £0.41 on volumes of 15,102 shares.
6pm shares now rank as the best performing equity since the start of 2013 with a year-to-date increase of 32.3 per cent after announcing a number of new international contracts including a £2 million record management contract with one of the largest hospitals in the UK’s National Health Services.
Grand Harbour Marina plc shares also trended higher with a 1.1 per cent increase to regain the €1.90 level on renewed demand ahead of a board meeting scheduled to be held on February 27 to consider the payment of an interim dividend following the conclusion of a €3.1 million super-yacht berth sale back in December.
Newsflow also helped generate new bids for MaltaPost plc shares which climbed 1 per cent to a new 2013 high of €1.05 on volumes of 67,487 shares.
The postal operator yesterday issued its Interim Statement announcing that profitability since the start of its financial year on 1 October 2012 has improved over the corresponding period in the previous year.
Moreover, the directors explained that the new tariffs for standard local mail with effect from April 1 should further ensure the sustainability of the provision of the Universal Service Obligations.
This announcement also helped the shares of Lombard Bank Malta plc (the major shareholder of the postal operator) to edge 0.5 per cent higher to the €1.89,9 level on a single trade of 15,000 shares.
Low volumes were registered in Simonds Farsons Cisk plc but the share price rose by 0.8 per cent to a new all-time high of €2.60 across two trades totalling 2,250 shares.
On the other hand, Crimsonwing plc and RS2 Software plc continued to trade close to their recent highs. 20,000 Crimsonwing shares changed hands at the €0.55 level and RS2’s equity held on to the 86c level on volumes of 18,700 shares.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index retreated for the third consecutive session with another minimal dip to 1,007.128 as the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield regained the 1.67 per cent level on renewed appetite for riskier assets. This trend was further accentuated by the weak demand for a five-year German bond auction.
Last week the Treasury of Malta announced the issue of €200 million in a combination of two new Malta Government Stocks as follows: (i) three per cent MGS 2019 (III) and (ii) 4.5 per cent MGS 2028 (II) at prices to be determined on tomorrow. Subscriptions open on Monday and close today week for the public.
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