In a three-day week, the MSE Equity Total Return Index ended 2017 on a positive note having advanced by 1.34 per cent. Despite this performance, however, the index’s yearly performance remained negative, closing 1.47 per cent lower at 8,669.132 points.
A total of 14 equities were active during the week of which nine advanced, while three closed in the red. Total turnover during the week amounted to €1.097 million.
In the banking sector, Bank of Valletta plc (BOV) shares continued where they left off last week depreciating by 2.7 per cent to close the week at €1.80 – with the equity registering a negative performance of 13.9 per cent during the year. A total of 86 transactions managed to generate a total turnover of €484,565.
BOV’s 105,000,000 new ordinary shares, resulting from the Rights Issue, commenced trading on Wednesday, after being admitted to the Official List of the Malta Stock Exchange on December 22.
HSBC Bank Malta plc and Lombard Bank plc shares traded in positive territory. HSBC shares curbed some of its year-on-year decline as the equity appreciated 1.4 per cent to close at €1.784 – registering a yearly decline of 6.1 per cent.
Lombard shares bounced back into positive territory closing the week 2.2 per cent higher at the €2.30 price level – closing flat year-on-year.
In the same sector, a single trade of 14,959 shares in FIMBank plc on Thursday did not manage to veer the equity’s price, closing unchanged at $0.69. The equity was one of the weakest performers during the year as it declined by 22.5 per cent.
Malta International Airport plc shares closed on a positive note as the equity appreciated by 1.3 per cent closing at €4.70.
The equity was one of the best performers during the year, having advanced by 16.1 per cent.
In the telecommunications sector, GO plc traded twice on Wednesday as 1,830 shares exchanged hands to close the week relatively unchanged at €3.549. Year-on-year the equity appreciated by 8.5 per cent.
RS2 Software plc shares closed the year on a positive note as the equity managed to add 2.7 per cent to its share price to close at €1.54.
A total turnover of €137,116 was spread between 14 transactions. Despite the positive performance, the equity still closed 8.3 per cent lower in 2017.
Retail conglomerate, PG plc hit a 13-week low on Thursday, hitting the €1.40 price level.
Despite the decline, the equity managed to notch the second-best performance among other listed equities during this year gaining 40 per cent since its listing back in May.
In the oil and gas industry, Medserv plc shares spiked on Friday as a single trade over a slim volume managed to lift the price by 10.4 per cent.
The equity closed the week 10.6 per cent higher at €1.259 as a total turnover of €54,280 was generated between 32 transactions.
In the property sector, Tigne Mall plc, Malta Properties Company plc (MPC) and Malita Investments plc shares spiked, registering gains of 8.9 per cent, 11.4 per cent and 9.3 per cent, closing at €1.089, €0.48 and €0.82, respectively.
Despite this week’s positive performances, all three equities closed lower year-on-year with MPC registering the weakest performance among the three, being that of 18.6 per cent.
Its peer MIDI plc also traded in positive territory, gaining 0.9 per cent on its price to close at €0.35 and registering a marginal decline of 0.3 per cent in 2017.
Elsewhere, Loqus Holdings plc traded twice on slim turnover, to close flat at €0.175.
On Thursday, Global Capital plc made reference to its half-yearly report for the period ended June 30, published on August 30, in which the company announced the board’s intention to conduct a rights issue in respect of an amount of shares not exceeding €15,000,000 in nominal value before the end of 2017.
During the last quarter of 2017, the company continued the process of redefining its business strategy in the context of its plans to strengthen its position in the local insurance market and to passport its insurance products in other EU jurisdictions, while at the same time preparing itself for the implementation of the Insurance Distribution Directive in the course of 2018.
In the corporate debt market a total of 25 issues were active of which, nine headed north, while seven headed in the opposite direction.
The 4.4% Von der Heyden Group Finance plc Unsecured €2024 registered the highest turnover over 10 transactions of 197,000 shares closing at €99.50.
Meanwhile, in the Local Sovereign Debt market, a total of 18 issues were active of which the absolute majority amounting to 14 headed lower, while four gained ground. Longer dated stocks having a maturity greater than 13 year experienced the largest declines, with the only exception being the 4.1% MGS 2034 (I) which increased in price by 0.2 per cent to close at €132.64.