The share index ended this morning’s session in positive territory for the fourth consecutive day with a further 0.52 per cent increase to 4,343.249 points. Volumes increased noticeably as over €225,000 worth of shares changed hands.

Simonds Farsons Cisk continued to surge with the equity climbing by a further 3.4 per cent to a new all-time high of €6 albeit on a single deal of just 200 shares.

On September 30, the company published its interim financial results which showed that during the first half of the 2015/16 financial year, the group registered another positive performance with profits after tax rising by 16 per cent to €4.6 million.

HSBC advanced by 1.9 per cent to close at a two-week high of €1.84,5 across 12,400 shares.

Following the publication of the September traffic results, Malta International Airport edged 1.3 per cent higher to the €3.88 level on low volumes of 2,500 shares.

The announcement revealed that the airport operator registered an 8.6 per cent increase in passenger movements during the month of September to a new record for the month of 502,823 passengers – representing the third consecutive month with more than 500,000 passenger movements, a first for MIA.

During the first nine months of the year, MIA registered a seven per cent increase in passenger movements to 3.62 million compared to the company’s revised forecast for 2015 of a 4.6 per cent increase.

The other positive performer was GO with a rise of 0.3 per cent to €3.45,9 across 20,550 shares. GO will be holding an extraordinary general meeting on October 29.

Meanwhile, the only negative performer of the day was Bank of Valletta as the equity failed to hold on to last Friday’s closing price and lost 0.4 per cent to the €2.37 level across 32,960 shares.

The bank is expected to publish its annual preliminary results by the end of October. Recently, the bank also announced that it lodged an application with the listing authority for a subordinated debt issuance programme of a maximum of €150 million over the next 12 months. Further details will be issued in the prospectus and final terms once approval is granted.

Also in the banking sector, Lombard closed unchanged at its multi-year high of €2.22 albeit on a single deal of 247 shares.

At an extraordinary general meeting today, the board of directors of Medserv were given the authorisation to disclose the required information requested by any offeror and its advisers to make, confirm, withdraw or modify any offer made to the company.

The equity of the oil and gas logistics company ended the day unchanged at the €3.09,5 level across volumes of 13,700 shares. Medserv will be convening another EGM in relation to its planned acquisition of METS Group for $46 million. Medserv intends to finance such an acquisition through a mix of debt and equity.

On the bond market, the RF MGS Index moved marginally higher by 0.04 per cent to 1,132.958 points as the 10-year German Bund yield opened the day virtually unchanged from last Friday’s level of 0.6 per cent.

Earlier this afternoon, the 10-year German Bund yield eased to 0.58 per cent on continued uncertainty relating to the next move by the Federal Reserve and as well as the European Central Bank.

Hili Properties will be announcing its allocation policy in relation to its recent €35 million bond issue on Wednesday.

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