The share index ended virtually unchanged at 4,568.244 points on weak volumes having a market value of just €191,500 – the lowest level of activity in the last six trading sessions.

Once again, RS2 Software plc was the most liquid equity today as 15,795 shares changed hands with the equity recovering from an intra-day low of €3.70,1 (-2.3 per cent) to close at the €3.77,9 level – reflecting a daily drop of 0.3 per cent.

Shareholders as at close of trading tomorrow will be eligible to receive the recently recommended final net dividend of 2c78 per share (payable on June 30) and a bonus share issue of one new share for every 18 shares held. Meanwhile, a five for three share split will take place as at June 30.

Bank of Valletta also performed negatively today as the share price retreated by 0.4 per cent to the €2.23 level across 3,974 shares. The net interim dividend of 2c54 per share will be paid on May 27.

In contrast, HSBC advanced by 0.6 per cent to the €1.63 level on volumes totalling 13,051 shares.

Malta Properties Company experienced a very volatile session and fluctuated between an intra-day high of 61c9 (+10.5 per cent) and a low of 56c before ending at the 57c5 level (+2.7 per cent). A total of 35,670 shares changed hands today. The company is due to hold its AGM on June 2.

Within the same segment, Malita Investments maintained the 90c level on a single deal of just 1,500 shares.

Mapfre Middlesea also closed unchanged at the €2.20 on shallow volumes. Eligible shareholders will receive the recently approved net dividend of 3c826 per share on May 22.

Malta International Airport maintained the €4.36 level across three deals totalling 12,271 shares. Yesterday, MIA announced that during the first three months of 2016, the performance of the company was much better than expected and following the 15.5 per cent increase in passenger traffic between January and March and the continued growth in the retail sector of the business, MIA’s revenues for the first quarter of 2016 amounted to €11.6 million (+5.1 per cent) and profits grew by 7.6 per cent to €1.46 million. The airport operator is due to settle the recently approved final net dividend of 7c per share tomorrow.

GO managed to rebound from an intra-day low of €3.50 before closing flat at the €3.55 level on weak volumes of 6,500 shares.

On Monday, GO confirmed that it is now in the final stages of evaluating the binding offers from third party investors interested in acquiring the company.

GO plans to select the preferred bidder by the end of the month. On Sunday, the local media reported that two binding offers received by GO were from Bahrain Telecoms Corporation (Batelco) and Tunisie Telecom.

This morning, International Hotel Investments published an Interim Directors’ Statement revealing that it registered improved revenue and operating profit during the first quarter of 2016.

Meanwhile the hotel market in London experienced a challenging start to the year and moreover, the necessary upgrading works on the hotel in Tripoli have now been finalised and the hotel is ready to reopen for business once the situation in the country normalises.

The announcement also made reference to a bonus share issue of three new shares for every 100 shares held to those shareholders as at the close of business on June 27.

On the bond market, the RF MGS Index edged up by 0.07 per cent to its highest level in four days of 1,147.702 points.

Data concerning euro zone’s inflation showed that, year-on-year, consumer prices fell to -0.2 per cent in April, down from a flat reading in the preceding month.

A further deterioration in inflation is likely to increase pressure on the European Central Bank to introduce further monetary stimulus. The 10-year benchmark German Bund yield slipped from 0.17 per cent yesterday to 0.15 per cent today.

In contrast, US inflation showed its biggest rise in more than three years as it rose by a more-than-expected 0.4 per cent (and by 1.1 per cent year-on-year), raising the chances of an interest-rate rise later this year.

Yesterday, GlobalCapital published a prospectus in connection with a new issue of €10 million 5 per cent unsecured bonds 2021.

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