The share index erased some of yesterday’s decline as it rebounded by 0.31% to 4,716.302 points reflecting the gains in FIMBank (+2.5%), IHI (+1.4%), BOV (+0.2%) and Malta Properties (+0.2%).
Meanwhile, another three shares closed unchanged. Trading activity remained subdued as only €0.14 million worth of shares changed hands.
Two deals totalling 10,000 shares lifted the equity of FIMBank 2.5% higher from its near 11-month low of 80cUS to the 82cUS level. Shareholders as at close of trading on April 7 will be eligible to a one-for-80 bonus share.
The equity of International Hotel Investments traded for the first time in the last nine trading sessions as it advanced by 1.4% to the 64c9 level across 23,000 shares.Also among the large companies by market capitalisation, Bank of Valletta recaptured
Also among the large companies by market capitalisation, Bank of Valletta recaptured its over nine-year high of €2.21 (+0.2%) on volumes totalling 4,646 shares.Malta Properties Company edged 0.2% higher to a four-week high of 54c8 albeit on trivial volumes.
Malta Properties Company edged 0.2% higher to a four-week high of 54c8 albeit on trivial volumes.Meanwhile, three
Meanwhile, three equities closed the day flat. HSBC held on to the €2.08 level across 36,000 shares.
Medserv maintained its four-month low of €1.51,5 across five deals totalling 17,000 shares. The oil and gas logistics specialist is due to reveal its 2016 financial results today.
Mapfre Middlesea retained the €2.19 level on insignificant volumes.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index extended yesterday’s gains as it advanced by a further 0.17% to a fresh four-week high of 1,126.266 points.
Euro zone sovereign yields continued to ease lower with the 10-year benchmark German Bund yield touching a five-week low of 0.231% today from 0.269% yesterday.
On the economic front, the latest data was mixed as the results of fresh surveys gauging the level of activity in the services and manufacturing sectors in France and the whole of the eurozone disappointed while Germany showed a slightly better-than-expected performance.
Meanwhile, the governor of the Bank of Finland, who is also a member of the European Central Bank's governing council, was reported saying that the ECB is not planning to increase interest rates before the end of its current quantitative-easing programme which is expected to last until December.
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