The MSE Equity Price Index opened the week slightly higher as it added 0.02 per cent to a fresh six-month high of 4,422.579 points. The increase reflects the additional gains in the share price of FIMBank which outweighed the drops in GO and RS2. Meanwhile, trading volumes dropped markedly to just €0.09 million.
FIMBank plc surged by 2.2 per cent to the $0.685 level across 11,666 shares.
In contrast, RS2 Software plc lost a further 1.7 per cent to an over four-month low of €1.13 albeit on just 635 shares.
GO plc eased by 0.5 per cent to the €3.82 level on volumes totalling 10,263 shares. Last week, GO announced that subject to shareholders’ approval, it would be seeking to dispose of up to 49 per cent of its shareholding in BMIT Group through an initial public offering. In this respect, GO also added that through this sale, it will be seeking to raise up to €49 million. These proceeds are earmarked to deliver returns to shareholders.
Meanwhile, five equities traded unchanged on Monday. Bank of Valletta plc maintained its six-year low of €1.40 on four deals totalling 4,300 shares.
HSBC Bank Malta plc (12,059 shares) and Malta International Airport plc (1,610 shares) maintained the €1.81 and €6.20 levels respectively. Last Friday, MIA announced the September traffic results revealing a 12.8 per cent increase in passenger movements to a record of 706,814 passengers. The announcement also noted that during July, August and September, the airport operator registered 2.2 million passenger movements – a record for this period and representing an 11.4 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year. From January to September this year, MIA welcomed over 5.29 million passengers, representing an increase of 14.2 per cent over the previous corresponding period.
A single deal of just 210 shares left the equity of Simonds Farsons Cisk plc at the €7.75 level.
Low trading activity also took place in the equity of Malita Investments plc which maintained the €€0.87 level.
The RF MGS Index trended lower for the third consecutive day as it shed a further 0.14% to a fresh four-year low of 1,081.023 points. Movements in the prices of MGS were mostly influenced by an extended surge in the bond yields of peripheral countries, particularly Italy, after the Italian Deputy Prime Minister labelled European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Economics Commissioner Pierre Moscovici as "enemies of Europe".
Stock markets are volatile and subject to fluctuations which cannot be reasonably foreseen. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.