The share index closed lower for the first time in a week as it retreated by a minimal 0.08 per cent to 4,455.970 points, reflecting the declines in the share prices of Lombard and RS2 which outweighed the gains in Mapfre Middlesea, BOV and Malta Properties.
Lombard Bank traded for the first time in a month and lost 4.5 per cent to close at the €2.10 level on insignificant volumes.
A single deal of 12,000 shares dragged the share price of RS2 Software 1.2 per cent lower to the €1.63 level.
The most actively traded equity today was Tigne’ Mall as 105,000 shares (valued at €0.11 million – representing 55 per cent of the total value of equities traded) left the share price of the shopping mall owner unchanged at €1.06,5.
HSBC failed to hold on to its intra-day high of €1.63,8 (+1.1 per cent) as it finished the day unchanged at the €1.62 level. A total of 3,599 shares changed hands.
In contrast, Bank of Valletta recaptured its near five-month high of €2.26 (+0.2 per cent) on 24,700 shares.
Meanwhile, BOV’s insurance associate, Mapfre Middlesea plc, climbed 1.4 per cent to the €2.10 level on trivial volumes.
Malta Properties Company extended its recent run as it gained a further 0.2 per cent to reach a new four-month high of 57c on activity totalling 13,100 shares.
Also in the property segment, Plaza Centres yesterday announced that it completed the acquisition of the ‘Tigne Place’, Sliema having a total rentable area of 3,279 sqm apart from underlying car spaces. The equity remained inactive today.
Furthermore, Simonds Farsons Cisk yesterday published its interim results showing a 20.1 per cent jump in pre-tax profits to a record of €5.8 million. The improved results came largely from the ‘Brewing, production & sale of branded beers & beverages’ segment arising from the solid performance of Malta’s economy together with significant growth in tourist arrivals. The directors declared an unchanged net interim dividend of 3c33 per share to all shareholders as at close of trading on Monday. The interim dividend will be paid on October 19.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index posted its first decline in the last seven days as it dropped by 0.13 per cent to 1,175.248 points. The decline in the indicative bid prices quoted by the Central Bank of Malta reflected movements across euro zone sovereign yields, which today edged higher.
In fact, the 10-year benchmark German Bund moved to -0.115 per cent from -0.139 per cent yesterday. Similarly, the 10-year yields of both Italy and Spain also rose.
Meanwhile, the markets attention remains centred around the most recent developments happening within the European banking system, and more specifically about the issues currently hitting Germany’s largest financial institution – Deutsche Bank.
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