Following seven consecutive sessions of increases, the share index retreated by one per cent during this morning’s session back to 3,952.496 points largely due to the eight per cent slump in the share price of International Hotel Investments, albeit on shallow volumes of 465 shares.

Nonetheless, the local equity benchmark still ended the week in positive territory with a weekly increase of 1.9 per cent.

Lombard Bank also performed negatively with a 1.6 per cent decline back to the €1.82 level across 16,600 shares.

On the other hand, GO edged a further 0.3 per cent higher to regain the €3.10 level on low volumes of 4,000 shares.

Amongst the large cap equities, Malta International Airport also edged marginally higher to end this morning’s session at the €3.36,5 level on volumes of 8,250 shares.

The equity of RS2 Software also closed this morning’s session in positive territory as it trended higher for the fourth consecutive day with a further 0.1 per cent increase to reach yet another all-time high of €3.42,5 across 4,600 shares.

RS2 is scheduled to hold its annual general meeting June 9 during which shareholders will be asked to approve a number of resolutions including the final net dividend of 4c4 per share and the two for one share split.

Similarly, the share price of Mapfre Middlesea gained for the fourth successive session with a further 3.1 per cent increase to yet another multi-year high of €1.65 across almost 7,100 shares.

Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta maintained the €2.28 level across 10 deals totalling 16,548 shares. Likewise, HSBC Bank Malta held on to the €1.84 level across six deals totalling 7,955 shares.

Also in the banking sector, the share price of FIMBank maintained the 46c5US level on volumes of 31,702 shares.

A single trade of 500 shares of Medserv was transacted at the €2.16 level representing no change from the previous closing price.

Likewise, Malita Investments plc held on to the 95c level on volumes of 9,260 shares.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index eased marginally lower to a nine-month low of 1,136.597 points although the benchmark 10-year Eurozone yield remained near 2015 highs of 0.87 per cent.

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