The share index trended lower for the second consecutive session with a further 0.5 per cent drop to a fresh 22-month low of 3,244.919 points.
Today’s decline in the local equity benchmark was partly due to the 0.9 per cent retreat in the share price of Bank of Valletta plc back to the €2.20 level across 15 deals totalling 43,129 shares.
Among the large cap equities, the share price of International Hotel Investments also slipped by 2.8 per cent to a fresh all-time low of 52c on a deal of only 1,101 shares.
Selling pressure was also evident in GO as the equity of the telecoms quad-play operator touched an intra-day low of €2.50 for the second consecutive session before partially recovering to close at the €2.51,5 level. This still represents a 0.2 per cent drop from yesterday’s closing price across three deals totalling 6,448 shares.
The only other negative performing equity was Crimsonwing plc with a 7.2 per cent plunge back to the 77c level across a single trade of 1,100 shares.
Next week marks the opening of the voluntary bid of KPMG with the aim of acquiring the entire issued share capital of Crimsonwing shares at a price of 83c27 per share.
Shareholders as at close of trading on November 28 ought to have received an acceptance form and a copy of the offer document.
Acceptances are to be lodged at Rizzo Farrugia & Co (Stockbrokers), mandated to act as the manager, registrar, collecting and paying agent.
The acceptance period is between December 9 and January 20 (both days included), or as may be extended by the offeror as provided in the offer document.
On the other hand, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta edged 0.5 per cent higher to regain the €1.91,5 level across three deals totalling 5,415 shares.
Likewise, the equity of Lombard Bank Malta moved 1.2 per cent higher to regain the €1.75 level (6c below its 2014 high of €1.81) on a single trade of 4,000 shares.
Meanwhile, a further 12,450 shares of MIDI changed hands at the equity’s all-time low of 21c across one deal.
Malta International Airport held on to the €2.33 level on low volumes of 4,840 shares.
This morning, the airport operator announced that during November it registered a record level of passenger movements which grew by 2.9 per cent over the same period last year.
Between January and November, passenger traffic at MIA surged by 6.5 per cent.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index inched marginally higher to yet another all-time high of 1,096.958 points despite a further uplift in benchmark Eurozone yields to around the 0.77 per cent level after the European Central Bank yesterday failed to meet expectations of a full-blown quantitative easing programme.
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