The share index advanced by 0.8 per cent to 4,284.135 points today – the highest level since May 2008 – as most equities closed higher.

In the financial services sector, the equities of Bank of Valletta and HSBC extended Friday’s gains. BOV’s equity ended the session 1.3 per cent higher at the €2.30 level on volumes of 13,756 shares. Likewise, HSBC closed 1.4 per cent higher at €1.84,6 on volumes of 7,505 shares. HSBC is scheduled to pay the recently declared interim gross dividend of 5c1 per share (net: 3c32) tomorrow.

New bids also lifted the share price of Medserv as it ended this morning’s session 1.7 per cent higher at its all-time high of €3 across two deals totalling 11,000 shares.

MIDI shares also advanced by 1.7 per cent to close at 35c9 – its highest level since January 2012 as 25,000 shares changed hands across two deals.

Last week the company published its interim results covering the six months ended June 30 in which it revealed that during the period under review the Group registered an improved net profit figure of €2.95 million compared to the net loss of €0.99 million incurred in the first half of 2014.

This was reached on the back of improved revenues largely reflecting the delivery of the first few apartments at the Q1 residential block, a 6.8 per cemt increase in income from property and rental management and a tax credit of €3.6 million.

In the telecommunications sector, GO advanced marginally higher to €3.49,9 across six deals totalling 15,000.

Mapfre Middlesea was the day’s top performer with a jump of 3.7 per cnet to regain the €2.25 level, albeit on shallow volumes of 890 shares.

Insignificant volumes also evident in Simonds Farsons Cisk as just 32 shares traded unchanged at the equity’s all-time high of €5.55 with further offers unsatisfied at the closing price.

On the other hand, the equity of Lombard Bank was the only negative performer for the day as it retreated by 1.4 per cent back to the €2.12 level albeit on shallow volumes of 500 shares.

On the bond market, the RF MGS Index moved 0.1 per cent lower to 1,125.268 points as the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield exceeded the 0.7 per cent level ahead of a German Bund auction.

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