Following the declines in the previous three trading sessions, the share index rebounded strongly as it advanced by 0.56% – the sharpest daily uplift in two months – to a four-day high of 4,729.466 points.

Trading activity was spread across eight equities: five registered gains while another three closed the day unchanged. Nonetheless, volumes dropped to a one-month low of just €0.1 million.

In the retail banking sector, HSBC (10,000 shares) and Bank of Valletta (6,469 shares) advanced 1% and 0.9% to recapture the €2.08 and €2.20 levels respectively.

Also among the large companies by market capitalisation, two deals totalling 5,000 shares lifted the equity of GO 0.9% higher to the €3.55 level.

Shareholders as at close of trading tomorrow will be eligible to receive a net dividend of 11c per share.

Similarly, RS2 Software advanced 0.5% to the €1.64,9 level across 5,430 shares.

The best performing equity today was Mapfre Middlesea which gained 1.9% to the €2.19 level on volumes totalling 3,000 shares.

Meanwhile, Malta International Airport maintained the €4.15 level across 5,000 shares. Shareholders as at April 6 will be eligible to receive a final net dividend of 7c per share.

In the property segment, Malita Investments held on to its two-year low of 75c5 across 13,165 shares while a single deal of just 936 shares left the equity of Malta Properties unchanged at the 52c level.

Following the sharpest daily uplift in six weeks of 0.55% yesterday, the RF MGS Index slipped back by 0.23% to 1,118.698 points today as eurozone sovereign yields rebounded.

In the wake of US President Donald Trump’s inability to pass a major healthcare reform bill last Friday, capital markets turned their attention on the possible implementation of major tax reforms in the US as part of Trump’s expansionary policies.

Meanwhile, international financial media reported a Federal Reserve member as having said that long-term inflation expectations in the US are still running below the Federal Reserve's 2% target and that while three interest-rate hikes are "plausible" this year, two rate increases are "also possible" as uncertainties within the current economic conditions in the US remain "pretty high".

www.rizzofarrugia.com

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