After trending in negative territory for the past two weeks, the MSE Share Index edged 0.3% higher during this morning’s session to 4,481.364 points largely due to the positive movements in the share prices of BOV and GO.
Bank of Valletta plc edged 0.4% higher to regain the €2.239 level across eleven deals totalling 27,385 shares.
Similarly, GO plc moved up 1% to recapture the €3.20 level on volumes of 12,800 shares ahead of the 2015 full-year results publication next Thursday.
FIMBank plc also performed positively with a 0.8% increase to the USD0.61 level across 20,000 shares.
RS2 Software plc also edged 0.3% higher, representing the fourth consecutive daily increase, to close this morning’s session at the €3.31 level (marginally below its all-time high of €3.35) on volumes of 11,550 shares.
A single trade of 1,554 shares of MaltaPost plc was executed at the €1.85 level representing a 0.5% increase from the previous closing price.
The only other positive performing equity was Simonds Farsons Cisk plc with a 1.7% increase to regain the €6.10 level albeit on shallow volumes of 200 shares.
On the other hand, the share price of Malta International Airport plc eased minimally lower from its all-time high of €4.50 to the €4.499 level on volumes of 14,250 shares. The airport operator is scheduled to publish its preliminary full-year results on 24 February. The Directors will also consider the recommendation of a final dividend. Last Friday, the company published its January 2016 traffic results showing a 13.2% growth in passenger numbers to a new record of 236,552 passengers.
The share price of GlobalCapital plc also slipped 10% lower to the €0.45 albeit on a small deal of just 200 shares.
Meanwhile, HSBC Bank Malta plc maintained the €1.70 level across 30,819 shares. The Bank is scheduled to publish its 2015 preliminary financial statements on 22 February. Meanwhile, media reports this morning confirmed that the Bank has reached a deal on a new collective agreement for its employees.
Also Malta Properties Company plc held on to the €0.57 level across three deals totalling 17,500 shares.
The only other active equity was 6pm Holdings plc as 2,519 shares changed hands at the GBP0.70 level across a single trade representing no change from the previous closing price.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index retreated by 0.14% to 1,140.182 points as the bid prices quoted by the stockbroker of the Central Bank of Malta declined further despite continued downward pressure on the benchmark 10-year Bund yield which this
morning slipped to the 0.28% level. By this afternoon, the benchmark yield touched a 9-month low of 0.235% reflecting the growing demand for ‘safe-haven’ assets amid intensifying concerns for global growth and concerns surrounding the European banking system (particularly in the peripheral countries of Italy and Portugal).
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