Yesterday’s rebound in the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc was short-lived as the bank’s equity ended the session 0.5 per cent lower at €2.43,9 after only partially recovering from an intra-day low of €2.40 across 20 deals totalling almost 99,000 shares.

The equity is still trading with the entitlement to the final gross dividend of 5c2 per share and will turn ex-dividend as from March 13. Moreover, shareholders as at the close of trading on April 24 will also be entitled to a one for nine bonus share issue.

Meanwhile low volumes registered across Malta International Airport plc shares as the equity slid 1.4 per cent back to the €2.17 level across 1,200 shares. The equity trended lower despite the airport operator’s full-year results publication yesterday revealing a 17.1 per cent increase in profits to a record €14.59 million. The announcement also revealed a 12.5 per cent increase in the final dividend to 6c92 per share to all shareholders as at the close of trading on April 15.

The equity of Medserv plc also shed 1.5 per cent to fall back to the €1.28 level on a small deal of 447 shares.

On the other hand, the share price of RS2 Software plc was lifted 0.4 per cent higher to regain its all-time high of €2.38 on low volumes of 9,000 shares.

Yesterday, the company revealed it would be investing €1 million in a regional office in Gozo employing 50 people during the next three years and increasing the staff complement by another 50 employees by 2020.

The only other positive performing equity was Malita Investments plc with a 0.2 per cent increase to 54c2 on volumes of 30,000 shares.

Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc shares held on to the €2.34 level across eight deals totalling 23,991 shares.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index edged 0.1 per cent to 1,026.791 points as yields edged higher to 1.62 per cent ahead of the European Central Bank (ECB) as the market did not expect the ECB to act.

Expectations were met when this afternoon the ECB announced that it left its interest rate unchanged at the historically low 0.25 per cent to lead the 10-year benchmark yields further higher to 1.664 per cent for the first time in over a week.

www.rizzofarrugia.com