Bank of Valletta plc’s equity reacted negatively on the stock exchange to the publication of the March 2014 interim results published last Friday with the share price shedding 4.4% to the €2.20 level amid high trading activity amounting to 186,667 shares.

The BOV Group registered a profit before taxation of €50.7 million for the first half of their 2013/14 financial year, a decrease of 21 per cent when compared to the pre-tax profit of €64.6 million earned in the first six months of the previous financial year. The drop is largely attributable to lower net interest income, a reduction in fair value movements as well as a lower contribution from insurance operations. A gross interim dividend of €0.0425 (-22%) was declared to those shareholders as at close of trading on 5 May.

Meanwhile, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc held on to last Friday’s close of €2.15 with a further 29,630 shares changing hands. The equity was recently adjusted for the 1 for 9 bonus share issue and these additional shares will now be distributed to all shareholders tomorrow.

Only two other equities were active today. The share price of Malta International Airport plc edged 0.5% higher to €2.251 on low volumes of 2,400 shares. Meanwhile, the sterling denominated equity of 6pm Holdings plc maintained the GBP0.755 level on activity of 6,116 shares.

MIDI plc will be publishing its 2013 financials following a Board Meeting being held today with Grand Harbour Marina plc and GlobalCapital plc expected to follow by the deadline of next Wednesday 30 April. Also on Wednesday, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc will be publishing its financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2014.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index yet again traded up to a new record level as most Malta Government Stock prices with a maturity above 2019 continued to reach new all-time highs. Eurozone yields continued to decline and breached the 1.5% level today.