The share index reversed yesterday’s small gains as it retreated by 0.17 per cent today to 4,533.256 points on low volumes.

Total value of equities traded amounted to merely €149,000 – the lowest since the end of January. Week-on-week, the Index lost 1.2 per cent, reflecting the notable declines in the equities of IHI and HSBC.

HSBC closed below the €1.60 mark for the first time in the last two weeks as it retreated by 1.2 per cent to the €1.59 level across 50,575 shares. This morning, HSBC held its annual general meeting during which shareholders approved the distribution of a net final dividend of 1c7 per share. This will be paid next Tuesday.

FIMBank managed to recover from an intra-day low of 71cUS but still closed 0.4 per cent lower at the 72c7US level. A total of 16,020 shares changed hands today.

A single deal of just 1,687 shares pulled the equity of GO back to the €3.45 level – representing a decline of 0.9 per cent over yesterday’s closing price.

Low activity also took place in the equities of Malta International Airport (1,000 shares) and RS2 Software (1,040 shares). Both shares closed unchanged at the €4.37,5 and €3.82 levels respectively. RS2 yesterday announced that its 2015 financial statements will be published on April 28.

Bank of Valletta maintained the €2.27 level across 18,658 shares. The bank is expected publish its 2016 interim results by the end of April.

Meanwhile, Tigne’ Mall jumped 6.5 per cent to its all-time high of €1.15 albeit on trivial volumes. This morning, the shopping complex operator revealed its 2015 full-year results which showed a 27.5 per cent increase in post-tax profits to €1.65 million.

This is also 22.1 per cent above the projections published at the time of the IPO in early 2013.

The directors recommended an unchanged final net dividend of 1c25 per share to all shareholders as at the close of trading on June 24. The dividend will be paid on July 12 subject to shareholder approval at the upcoming annual general meeting scheduled to be held on June 24.

Combined with the net interim dividend of 1c per share, the company’s total distribution with respect to the 2015 financial year amounts to a total net dividend of 2c25 per share, representing a 20 per cent increase over last year’s payment and exactly in line with what was projected at the time of the IPO.

On the bond market, the RF MGS Index remained virtually flat at 1,155.236 points despite a notable recovery in euro zone yields.

In fact, the 10-year benchmark German Bund yield advanced from 0.13 per cent yesterday to 0.15 per cent today.

Yesterday evening, the 10-year Bund retouched a high of 0.18 per cent. On the economic front, the latest inflationary data for the euro zone was revised upwards, taking the single currency zone out of deflation territory for March following a decline of 0.2 per cent in February.

In fact, consumer prices were confirmed to be unchanged in March on a year-on-year basis, compared to the initial estimate of -0.1 per cent.

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