The share index shed 0.1 oer cent to 4,231.072 points today reflecting the declines in the share prices of International Hotel Investments and Malta International Airport.

IHI’s equity moved 1.3 per cent lower to 78c across three deals totalling 100,000 shares. Lower volumes were transacted in MIA with the equity retreating by 1.4 per cent back to the €3.84 level on a single deal of just 1,400 shares.

On the other hand, the share price of Go advanced by one per cent to regain the €3.49,5 level across 4,000 shares.

Likewise, RS2 Software added a further 0.9 per cent to yet another all-time high of €2.37 on volumes of 4,950 shares.

Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta again held on to the €2.25 level across 10 deals totalling 24,775 shares.

Simonds Farsons Cisk also closed the day unchanged at its all-time high of €5.55 albeit on shallow volumes of 1,000 shares.

Despite this morning’s decline, the local equity benchmark still ended the week 0.5 per cent higher largely reflecting the marginal weekly increases in HSBC and Go as well as the three per cent weekly gain in RS2 Software and the 18 per cent jump in the share price of Medserv.

On the bond market, the RF MGS Index moved 0.4 per cent higher to 1,123.902 points as the benchmark 10-year eurozone yields tumbled back below the 0.7 per cent after yesterday’s monetary policy meeting of the European Central Bank during which the policy members decided to expand the asset purchase programme given its weaker inflation expectations for 2016 and 2017.

www.rizzofarrugia.com