The MSE Equity Total Return Index was back in the green, as an increase of 0.66% was registered, to close the week at 8,662.642 points, as 16 issues were active, of which eight traded lower, while six ticked higher.
Total turnover remained relatively unchanged from last week, as this exceeded the €1.32 million mark over 195 deals.
HSBC Bank Malta plc continued from where it left off, as an increment of 3.16% in share price was registered, to close at €1.96.
This gain was recorded over 41 transactions in which 175,270 shares changed hands.
Similarly, another active banking equity, Bank of Valletta plc, also posted gains – this time of 0.55%. The equity featured in 50 separate transactions worth €428,940 in total. This week’s closing price read €1.83. Contrarily, FIMBank plc declined by 1.61%, to close at $0.61, as 32,000 shares changed ownership over six deals.
In the oil and gas exploration sector, Medserv plc registered this week’s top performance, as the price per share surged by 8.04%, to close at €1.21. This performance was the result of three individual trades worth a combined total of €21,705.
International Hotel Investments plc and Plaza Centres plc both ended the week in the green as they posted similar gains.
The former appreciated by 4.13%, to close at €0.63, while the latter increased by 4.95%, to close at €1.06.
On Thursday, Malta Properties Company plc announced that the Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on March 21, 2018 where they shall consider and approve the Company’s Audited Financial Statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2017 and consider the declaration of a final dividend to be recommended to the Company’s Annual General Meeting.
This statement did not have an impact on trading, as a depreciation of 2.04% was registered over mere turnover worth less than €35.
Malta International Airport plc closed again in the red, as the equity traded 0.41% lower this week, closing at €4.90, as trading volume totalled 34,662 shares across 25 transactions. The fall in price resulted despite strong financial results announced last week.
RS2 Software plc extended its negative streak as the equity slipped by 0.78%, to close at €1.28. A total of 19,170 shares were transacted over nine deals.
Food and beverage industry counterpart, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, headed the weekly list of fallers, as the price settled at €6.95 – a 3.47% dip in price. Albeit registering higher turnover levels, this fall is almost identical to that registered last week.
Another two equities which closed at the negative end of the spectrum were PG plc and MaltaPost plc. The retail conglomerate recorded a 1.48% fall in price, over 12 trades worth €72,180 in total, while MaltaPost plc depreciated by 2.05% over thin volume. The equities closed yesterday’s session at €1.33 and €1.91 respectively.
On the other hand, Malita Investments plc moved in the opposite direction, as the equity’s price increased by 0.60%, to close at €0.835. The equity traded on 13 separate occasions, across which total turnover exceeded €75,800.
Further to GO plc’s announcement of the January 28, 2016 whereby the Company announced that its fully-owned subsidiary, GO Data Centre Services Limited, had completed the acquisition of 51% of the issued share capital of Kinetix IT Solutions Limited, on Thursday the company announced that it exercised its option to acquire the remaining 49% of the issued share capital of Kinetix through which it will become the sole shareholder of Kinetix. The equity closed unchanged at €3.54.
Another active equities which closed unchanged was MIDI plc which closed at €0.34 as one deal of 14,700 shares was executed. Trident Estates plc. Lost a mere one cent over slim volume closing at €1.90.
In the corporate debt market a total of 42 issues as turnover declined to €1.4.
The 5.5% Mediterranean Investments Holding plc Unsecured € 2020 headed the list of gainers, with a 2.91% price increase, to close at €106.
On Wednesday, 6pm Holdings plc announced that due to delays in the audit of Idox Group, the group of companies which the Company forms part of pursuant to the acquisition of its entire issued share capital by Idox plc in 2017, which audit includes an audit testing process on the Company by Grant Thornton UK, being the auditors of Idox Group, the Company is not in a position to meet the deadline for the publication of its audited annual financial statements for the financial period ended 31 October 2017, which deadline fell due on Wednesday. As a result the bond cannot be traded until further notice.
As opposed to last week, yields in the sovereign debt market were down, as a total of 22 issues were active of which the absolute majority amounting to 17 headed north, while five declined. The 3% Malta Government Stock 2040 posted the largest weekly gains, as it climbed by 1.71% to €117.47. On the contrary, the 2.3% Malta Government Stock 2029 registered the biggest drop in value, that of 2.05%, to close at €107.74.