Trading activity across the equity market during this morning’s session surged with more than €0.5 million worth of shares changing hands during the day representing the highest level of activity in a single session since mid-December.
Nonetheless, the MSE Share Index ended this morning’s session practically unchanged at 3,380.817 points.
Further bids emerged during today’s session lifting the share price of HSBC Bank Malta a further 0.5% to regain the €2.03 level across five deals totalling 48,677 shares.
Amongst the large cap equities, GO plc recovered from an intra-day low of €2.56 to also end the session 0.4% higher at the €2.59 level across two deals totalling 1,820 shares.
Malita Investments plc also edged 0.3% higher to reach a fresh all-time high of €0.642 across three deals totalling 64,000 shares.
The only other equity to perform positively was Middlesea Insurance plc with a 0.6% increase to recapture the €1.00 level for the first time since 29 October 2014 albeit on low volumes of 7,782 shares.
On the other hand, the share price of Malta International Airport dropped 1.9% back to the €2.355 level across seven trades totalling 15,731 shares. Similarly, the equity of International Hotel Investments plc retreated by 0.2% to the €0.578 level across 8,000 shares.
Grand Harbour Marina plc shares slipped 2.4% back to the €1.82 level on low volumes of 7,300 shares.
Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc failed to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.30 as it ended this morning’s session unchanged at the €2.29 level across 17 deals totalling 75,165 shares. The shares of BOV will continue to trade with the entitlement to the 1 for 11 bonus share issue until Tuesday.
Likewise,FIMBank plc held on to the USD0.60 level across 12,300 shares and Tigné Mall plc maintained its all-time high of €0.60 on volumes of 48,000 shares. In the IT sector, a further 39,812 shares of Crimsonwing plc traded at the €0.86 level.
Shareholders of Crimsonwing have been offered €0.83 27 per share by KPMG Investments Malta Limited as it aims to acquire the entire company. The voluntary bid by KPMG closes on 20 January.
The only other active equity was MaltaPost plc which failed to hold on to an intra-day high of €1.211 to end the session unchanged at the €1.20 level across five deals totalling just over 53,000 shares. The postal operator is scheduled to hold its Annual General Meeting on 16 January.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index moved marginally higher to yet another all-time high of 1,105.599 points as Eurozone yields tumbled to fresh lows of 0.444% in view of the renewed political uncertainty in Greece and speculation on whether the European Central Bank (ECB) will launch a quantitative easing programme at its upcoming meeting on 22 January.