The share index closed 0.3 per cent lower at 4,229.814 points mainly due to the declines registered in three of the large caps namely BOV, HSBC and IHI. RS2 Software and Tigne Mall also closed lower while the only two positive performers were Lombard Bank and Mapfre Middlesea.
The share price of Bank of Valletta slipped by 1.1 per cent to €2.27,5 across 11 trades for a total of 28,148 shares, after failing to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.29,9.
Similarly, HSBC shed 0.5 per cent to €1.87 albeit on shallower volumes of just 10,000 shares. Today was the last day for investors to gain entitlement to the interim gross dividend of 5c1 (net: 3c32) per share which will be paid on September 10. The equity will turn ex-dividend tomorrow.
International Hotel Investments closed 1.2 per cent lower at the 80c level across seven trades for a total of 24,503 shares. Earlier this week, IHI came a step closer to the complete acquisition of Island Hotels Group Holdings.
Another two equities closed the day in negative territory. RS2 Software dropped 2.3 per cent to the €2.09 level across two trades totalling 25,626 shares.
Likewise, Tigne Mall slipped 1.7 per cent to the 86c5 level as the equity is already trading without the entitlement to the net interim dividend of 1c per share.
The dividend was announced on Monday afternoon in conjunction with the publication of the interim financial statements. The company reported a 6.3 per cent increase in revenue and a 28.2 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to €1.22 million.
Meanwhile, only two equities closed the day higher. Mapfre Middlesea advanced by a further 3.9 per cent to €2.15 (a fresh six-year high) on volumes of 7,300 shares.
Lombard Bank also continued to perform positively with an increase of a further 0.7 per cent to €2.11,5 ahead of the publication of the interim financial statements on August 25.
Meanwhile, the other four active equities held on to their respective closing prices. GO maintained the €3.58,5 level on activity of 15,621 shares. Yesterday morning, the telecom operator reported that despite the marginal decline in revenue, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) edged 4.9 per cent higher to €25.5 million with an increase in the EBITDA margin to 42 per cent. GO’s pre-tax profit for the first six months of 2015 improved by 53 per cent to €13 million. As in previous years, no interim dividend was declared.
Malta International Airport traded again at the €3.90 level with a total of 18,980 shares changing hands today. A single deal of 4,500 shares in MIDI was transacted at 34c and Simonds Farsons Cisk maintained the €5.25 level on continued low volumes of 583 shares. MIDI is expected to publish its interim financial statements on August 31.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index continued to recover and advanced by 0.4 per cent to 1,140.270 points as yields across Europe declined following the renewed devaluation of the Chinese yuan for the second time this week.
The second largest economy has released weak industrial output data for July, with the People’s Bank of China reverting to the devaluation of the yuan as a monetary policy measure aimed at boosting the economy which raised concerns about growth across markets.
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