The share index closed 0.1 per cent higher during this morning’s trading session to 3,420.191 points. The equity benchmark closed the week with an equivalent increase of 0.1%. Today’s uplift was mainly due to the 0.9 per cent increase in the share price of Bank of Valletta to regain the €2.09 level on high volumes totalling 107,952 shares.

Similarly, the share price of Lombard Bank advanced by 2.1 per cent to close at the €1.92 level for the first time since June 2012. A total of 36,928 shares changed hands today with outstanding bids at the €1.90 level and lowest offers now at the €1.95 level.

The bank’s postal subsidiary, MaltaPost , also trended in positive territory today with a 0.8 per cent increase to yet another all-time high of €1.31 on a single deal of 2,500 shares.

This morning, the postal operator paid out the net dividend of 4c per share. Those shareholders who opted to receive the dividend in the form of new shares were today allotted their respective entitlement. In fact, the Malta Stock Exchange this morning announced the admission of 1,026,318 shares representing a high take-up of 84.36 per cent. Following this scrip dividend, the total number of shares in issue increased to 36,306,728 shares.

On the other hand, the equity of HSBC eased one per cent lower back to the €2 level on shallow volumes of 2,538 shares.

Grand Harbour Marina also retreated by 2.8 per cent back to the €1.75 level on a single trade of 5,000 shares.

The only other negative performing equity was Crimsonwing with a 0.7 per cent drop back to the 84c4 level across 10,433 shares. Meanwhile, this afternoon, the company announced that shareholders owning 97.7 per cent or 29,506,296 shares have accepted the offer made by KPMG. Furthermore, the latter confirmed its intention to acquire the remaining shares.

Meanwhile, no changes were recorded in the other active equities. The share price of International Hotel Investments maintained the 62c level on volumes of 7,600 shares and Middlesea Insurance held on to the 99c level across 2,000 shares.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index inched marginally higher to yet another all-time high of 1,127.427 points as eurozone benchmark yields remained close to all-time lows following data showing that prices dropped by 0.6% across the single currency area in January as energy costs continued to tumble.

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