The share index closed in positive territory for the first time in a week as it edged up by 0.27 per cent to 4,537.933 points.
Trading activity was spread across 10 equities – three registered gains, another three closed unchanged whilst four shares suffered declines. Trading activity across the equity market improved to a near three-week high as nearly €509,000 worth of shares changed hands.
RS2 Software gained 0.5 per cent to the €3.82 level across heightened activity totalling 68,778 shares having a market value of nearly €0.26 million – representing half of today’s total value traded. The bulk of trading however took place at €3.75. The IT services company has yet to announce the date when its 2015 financial results will be published.
Healthy volumes were also traded in the equity of Bank of Valletta. BOV advanced by 0.9 per cent to the €2.27 level across 51,497 shares. BOV is shortly expected to announce the date when its March interim financial statements will be published.
A single deal of just 400 shares lifted Farsons' equity by 3.2 per cent to the €6.29,8 level – marginally lower than its all-time high of €6.30. The January full-year financial statements will be published on May 12.
Shallow volumes were also traded in the equity of Medserv, which closed the day 1.1 per cent lower at the €1.78,1.
GO retreated by 0.9 per cent to the €3.45 level on volumes totalling 14,781 shares after briefly touching €3.50.
FIMBank closed marginally lower at the 72c9US level (-0.1 per cent) across 34,000 shares.
The other negative performing equity today was Malita Investments which retreated by 0.6 per cent to the 92c9 level on 30,000 shares.
Within the same segment, Malta Properties Company maintained the 60c level across 15,245 shares.
Among the large companies, HSBC (8,750 shares) and Malta International Airport (1,300 shares) also closed unchanged at the €1.60 and €4.37,5 levels respectively.
Last week, MIA announced that Ryanair will be launching five new winter routes and extending the 11 new summer routes to winter as well. On Friday, MIA published the March traffic results revealing a further 19 per cent increase in passenger movements, bringing the total increase in passenger movements for all of Q1 2016 to 15.5 per cent when compared to the same period last year.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index extended yesterday’s decline by a further 0.14 per cent to 1,151.644 points as euro zone yields gained further ground.
In fact, the 10-year benchmark German Bund yield advanced to 0.15 per cent today. On the economic front, inflationary data for France and Spain came in as expected at -0.1 per cent and one per cent respectively.
Furthermore, fresh industrial production data showed a marginally bigger drop of 0.8 per cent on February.
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