The MSE Equity Total Return Index surrendered a portion of last week’s gain, closing 0.166 per cent lower at 8,648.238 points. 19 equities were active during the week of which ten closed in the red, while six headed north as total turnover during the week amounted to €1.66 million over 229 trades.
In the banking sector, HSBC Bank Malta plc was a drag on the index as its share price declined by 1.02 per cent to close at €1.94. The equity traded heavily as 161,382 shares were exchanged over 34 deals.
Bank of Valletta plc registered a similar trading volume of 170,777 shares over 58 transactions.
This trading activity however had no impact on the closing price of the equity as yesterday’s positive performance compensated for the losses registered earlier during the week, closing unchanged at a price of €1.83.
On Thursday, Lombard Bank Malta plc announced a rise in the group’s profit after tax of 7 per cent, from €5.3 million to €5.7 million. Subsequently, earnings per share also increased by 7.76% to €0.116.
Net interest income rose by 9 per cent to €15.43 million, as a result of increased consumer lending and the bank’s treasury activity. Net Fee and Commission Income also improved by 9 per cent as a result of a higher volume in transaction banking.
FIMBank plc recorded a loss in share value of 0.82 per cent, settling at $0.605. This was the outcome of five transactions in which 28,124 shares were executed. On Thursday, the bank announced that its Annual General Meeting is scheduled for May 9, 2018.
Yesterday, Mapfre Middlesea plc announced that the group’s profit after tax for 2017 reached €13.52m, translating to a considerable 34 per cent increase over the previous year’s figure of €8.93m.
The company registered a 3.2 per cent increase in turnover over the previous year, to reach €61.94 million in gross premium.
The equity headed south by 0.54 per cent, closing at €1.84. In total, 33,414 shares traded over ten deals, with the bulk of trading being registered yesterday.
Malta International Airport plc published its traffic results for February on Thursday. Once again, this announcement showed positive changes in passenger movements as traffic for the month grew by 18 per cent over the previous year.
The share price was up by 0.82 per cent to €4.94.
The telecommunications company, GO plc published preliminary results on Tuesday, which showed a reduction in profit for the Group for 2017 of 11 per cent, from €20.3 million to €18 million.
Consequently, earnings per share experienced a similar drop of 10.3 per cent to €0.165. The equity registered 14 deals in which 41,840 shares changed hands.
MaltaPost plc had a rather quiet week as a single trade of 807 shares shaved 0.52 per cent off the share price, to close at €1.90.
International Hotel Investments plc traded four times throughout the week as 9,050 shares were exchanged. Consequently the share price was down to €0.62.
RS2 Software plc broke its negative nine straight weeks’ streak, as it edged 1.56 per cent higher to close the week at €1.30. The equity was very liquid as a total of 85,453 shares traded over 27 deals.
In the food and beverage sector, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc registered mixed performances during the week which cancelled each other out as the equity ultimately closed unchanged at €6.95.
The retail conglomerate, PG plc recovered last week’s loss as it recaptured the €1.35 price level across a single transaction of 27,900 shares. In the oil sector, Medserv plc posted significant losses as of 4.96 per cent to settle at €1.15.
Trading volume totalled 16,000 shares over three deals.
In the property sector, Plaza Centres plc traded flat during the week but a transaction executed yesterday dragged the closing price down by 3.77 per cent to €1.02.
Similarly, Trident Estates plc slumped 4.21% to end the week at €1.82 as a result of seven deals of a combined 10,413 shares. During the week, a couple of transactions of 36,100 MIDI plc shares were executed at a price of €0.334, translating to a loss in value of 1.76 per cent.
On Tuesday, Malita Investments plc announced that profit for the year has more than doubled between 2016 and 2017, from €6.42 million to €12.98 million.
This increase was largely due to a positive change in fair value of investment property of €16.69 million, which figure stood at €3.02 million in the previous year.
As a result, earnings per share also doubled from €0.0434 in 2016, to €0.0877 in 2017.
Malita was the most liquid equity of the week as 520,123 shares traded across 30 deals.
Malta Properties Company plc followed suit as it bounced back from last week’s performance, climbing 3.75 per cent to €0.498.
Tigne Mall plc registered a single deal of 10,000 shares during the week, executed at a price of €1.00 - 0.99 per cent lower than its previous closing price.
In the corporate debt market a total of 35 issues were active of which, 12 headed higher and ten moved in the opposite direction.
The 5% Dizz Finance plc Unsecured € 2026 was the best performer this week as the price increased by 0.88 per cent to close at €108.95. On the other hand, the 5.75% International Hotel Investments plc Unsecured € 2025 surrendered two weeks’ gains as it drifted lower by 2.71 per cent.
Meanwhile, yields in the Local Sovereign Debt market were down, as out of a total of 20 active issues 12 moved higher, while six edged lower.