Further demand for local equities emerged during this morning’s session helping the MSE Share Index surpass the 3,300 points-level for the first time since July 2011.

The local equity benchmark edged 0.6 per cent higher for the second consecutive session to reach 3,303.475 points mainly reflecting the increases in three of the four largest equities by market capitalisation.

Malta International Airport plc shares climbed 1.1 per cent to the €1.81 level – representing the equity’s highest closing price since mid-February 2011. A total of 11,737 MIA shares changed hands today with the airport operator scheduled to publish its 2012 financial figures on March 20.

Bank of Valletta plc’s share price failed to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.29,9 but still ended this morning’s session 0.1% higher at the €2.278 across 16,208 shares.

International Hotel Investments plc traded up to a new 7-week high of 79c representing a 2.6 per cent increase over the previous close. Shareholders are still awaiting developments with respect to the sale of the twelve London apartments.

High volumes were sustained in MIDI plc as the equity edged another 3.5 per cent higher to 30c level (for the first time since July 2012) across 148,000 shares.

The company is scheduled to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 22 March 2013 to seek shareholders’ approval on the recently proposed sale of The Point.

Healthy trading activity was registered across the other active equities with the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc closing unchanged at the €2.74 level on volumes of 30,700 shares ahead of next Monday’s full-year results publication.

FIMBank plc shares also held on to the US$1 level across more than 90,000 shares in anticipation of the group’s financial statements publication next March 6.

MaltaPost plc shares recovered from an intra-day low of €1.03,9 to end this morning’s session unchanged at the equity’s 2013 high of €1.05 across increased volumes of 29,159 shares.

On the other hand, Plaza Centres plc eased minimally lower back to the 58c5 level on a single trade of 40,000 shares.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index edged a further 0.1 per cent higher to a new one-month high of 1,011.097 points in line with the continued decline in the benchmark 10-year Eurozone yield to 1.44 per cent.

The latter dropped by 12.7 basis points this week largely reflecting the flight to quality after Italy’s inconclusive general election outcome spurred fresh concerns over the region’s ability to deal with its sovereign debt problems.

This afternoon, the Treasury of Malta is expected to publish the results of the new Malta Government Stock issues. A total of €200 million were on offer in two stocks and the statistics to be published shortly will reveal the take-up by retail and institutional investors.

www.rizzofarrugia.com

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