The share index again trended lower following further declines in the share prices of the largest equities by market capitalisation.

The local equity benchmark shed a further 0.7 per cent during this morning’s session to drop back to a fresh two-week low of 3,312.694 points.

Bank of Valletta retreated by 0.5 per cent back to the €2.23,9 level on low volumes of 7,907 shares.

The bank is scheduled to publish its preliminary full-year results on Friday. Similarly, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta slipped by 1.9 per cent to €1.98,1 across four deals totalling 13,604 shares.

Among the large cap equities, International Hotel Investments also succumbed to selling pressure with a decline of a further 1.8 per cent to yet another all-time low of 54c across 23,171 shares.

Similarly, the share price of Malta International Airport plc shed 1.3 per cent back to the €2.33 level across one deal comprising 10,000 shares.

On the other hand, the share price of Lombard Bank Malta edged 0.6 per cent higher to regain the €1.75 level on a single trade of 1,000 shares.

Likewise, its postal subsidiary, MaltaPost plc, jumped 4.4 per cent to a fresh all-time high of €1.20 on low volumes of 3,530 shares. MaltaPost should be publishing its September 2014 full-year financials in the coming weeks.

The only other active equity was MIDI with 40,000 shares changing hands at the equity’s all-time low of 22c across a single trade.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index inched minimally higher to 1,092.454 points as Eurozone benchmark yields continued to hover around the 0.87 per cent level.