The five largest capitalised companies listed on the stock exchange performed negatively today sending the index down 0.7 per cent to 3,761.357 points. These losses offset the gains in six other equities.

Bank of Valletta shed a further 1.3 per cent back to the €2.37 level on increased activity totalling 54,741 shares. Similarly, HSBC closed 0.2 per cent lower at €2.04,5 across shallow volumes of 7,394 shares.

The bank’s equity is trading without the entitlement to the net dividend of 1c69 per share which is expected to be paid to shareholders on April 24 subject to approval at the annual general meeting scheduled for April 22. Meanwhile, the equity will trade the the entitlement to the one for nine bonus share issue until April 27.

Following the significant rally in recent weeks, Malta International Airport dropped 1.3 per cent to the €3.45,5 level on volumes of 43,295 shares. The equity will trade with the entitlement to the net dividend of 8c per share until April 16.

GO also featured among the negative performers with a one per cent decline to the €2.85 level on volumes of 63,710 shares. The equity will trade with the entitlement to the net dividend of 7c per share until Monday.

The share price of International Hotel Investments shed 2.8 per cent to the 70c level on a single deal of a mere 150 shares. Shortly after the close of today’s session, IHI announced that its 2014 financial statements will be published on Saturday.

Meanwhile, four equities closed unchanged. Island Hotels Group Holdings held on to the €1.02 level on activity of 26,500 shares. 6PM Holdings held on to yesterday’s uplift and traded again at the 70p level. The company has yet to announce the date when the 2014 full year results will be issued.

Lombard Bank Malta initially opened 2.4 per cent lower at the €1.86,5 level before recovering to close unchanged at the €1.91 level albeit on very shallow volumes. FIMBank maintained the 47cUS level also on low volumes of 4,879 shares.

Six equities closed the session in positive territory. The best performer among those on the Official List was Tigne Mall with a 6.4 per cent increase to the 75c level on increased volumes of 97,000 shares. The company will be publishing its 2014 financial statements on April 9.

Plaza Centres continued to reach new highs as the equity advanced by a further 2.2 per cent to the 95c level on a total of 66,000 shares. The equity will continue to trade with the entitlement to a net dividend of 2c68 per share until April 23.

Medserv also traded up to a new high as the share price gained a further 1.7 per cent to €1.75. On Monday evening Medserv published its 2014 financial statements showing pre-tax profits of €3 million which exceeded the forecasts of €2.2 million.

The directors recommended the payment of a net final dividend of 5c6 per share (2013: 2c4 per share) to all shareholders as at close of trading on May 26.

Malita Investments edged up 1.5 per cent to the 92c9 level on 5,000 shares and RS2 Software rose by one per cent to the €2.96,9 level across two deals totalling 7,700 shares. The equity of Loqus Holdings rallied by 15.7 per cent to the 14c level on very low activity.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index edged up a further 0.2 per cent to yet another all-time high of 1,150.016 points.

Although the indicative bid price quoted by the Central Bank of Malta of the newly-listed three per cent MGS 2040 (I) improved to 106.90 per cent, the market price surged by a further 150 bp to 117.5 per cent after touching a high of 118 per cent. Trading activity remained high with €1.9 million nominal changing hands across a total of 156 deals.

www.rizzofarrugia.com

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