The share index eased by 0.16% to 4,715.747 points today, mainly reflecting the declines in the share prices of BOV (-0.5%) and HSBC (-1%).
Most of today’s trading activity took place in the equity of Bank of Valletta which slipped by 0.5% to the €2.16 level across 88,263 shares – representing over 70% of the total value of equities traded today.
Also in the retail-banking sector, HSBC dropped 1% to the €2 level on light volumes totalling 4,000 shares. The bank is scheduled to publish its full-year results on February 21.
Mapfre Middlesea retreated by 0.2% to the €2.22 level across 2,416 shares.
The share price of Malita Investments eased by 0.1% to a fresh near two-year low of 84c9 albeit on a single deal of just 3,000 shares.
In contrast, Malta Properties Company rebounded by 0.2% from its four-month low of 53c to the 53c1 level after touching an intra-day high of 54c (+1.9%). A total of 3,900 shares traded.
Medserv plc jumped 3.1% to the €1.64,9 level albeit on trivial volumes.
Simonds Farsons Cisk plc recaptured its all-time high of €7.30 (+0.3%) across 1,300 shares whilst seven deals totalling 6,212 shares lifted the equity of Malta International Airport 0.5% higher to the €4.07 level. MIA is expected to reveal its 2016 financial results on February 22.
Meanwhile, five equities traded unchanged on shallow volumes. GO and International Hotel Investments maintained their recent highs of €3.40 and 66c respectively.
This morning, IHI announced that it has appointed Numis Securities to assist it in the exploration of financing options, including potential capital raising, to enable IHI and its subsidiary companies to take advantage of its growing pipeline of potential development project opportunities.
A single deal of just 3,400 shares left the equity of RS2 Software unchanged at €1.79.
MIDI (25,600 shares) and FIMBank (3,180 shares) also closed flat at 89cUS and €0.33 respectively. FIMBank is due to publish its 2016 financial results on 14 March. The Directors will also consider the declaration of a dividend.
The RF MGS Index moved lower for the fifth consecutive day as it dropped by a further 0.01% to a new 16-month low of 1,120.333 points. Euro zone sovereign yields stayed close to their recent highs, supported by upbeat economic data.
Indeed, the euro zone Consumer Price Index rose by 1.8% year-on-year in January – the highest since February 2013 – whilst the single currency’s GDP grew by 0.5% in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Year-on-year, the eurozone GDP expanded by 1.8%, helping the unemployment rate decline to 9.6% in December 2016 – the lowest since May 2009.
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