The MSE Equity Price Index trended lower for the first time in two weeks as it slipped by 0.11% to 4,666.127 points. Tuesday's drop was mostly due to the 2.3% decline in the share price of BOV which, coupled with the negative performances of Malita and MaltaPost, outweighed the gains in four other shares.
Meanwhile, several equities closed the day unchanged while trading volumes improved to just under €0.6 million on the back of heightened activity in BOV.
Bank of Valletta plc shed 2.3% to the €1.25 level across 144,158 shares. The bank is due to publish its 2018 full year results on Friday March 15.
Malita Investments plc tumbled 6.8% to the €0.895 level on activity totalling 68,683 shares. Last Friday, Malita reported a net profit of €11.7 million for the 2018 financial year. The directors are recommending the payment of a final net dividend of €0.01417 per share to all shareholders as at the close of trading on April 3.
A single deal of just 1,800 shares forced the equity of MaltaPost plc to move 0.8% lower to the €1.26 level.
Low trading activity also took place in BMIT Technologies plc, FIMBank plc and MIDI plc. All three shares traded flat at €0.52, $0.70 and €0.64 respectively. FIMBank is due to report its 2018 financial results on March 23.
International Hotel Investments plc held on to its over three-year high of €0.78 after opening at a low of €0.76 (-2.6%). A total of 51,241 shares changed hands.
Malta International Airport plc briefly traded at its all-time high of €6.65 before closing unchanged at the €6.60 level on a total of 10,312 shares.
Simonds Farsons Cisk plc maintained the €8.75 level across 1,843 shares and Malta Properties Company plc held on to the €0.60 level on volumes totalling 56,867 shares. MPC is due to publish its 2018 financial statements on March 20.
Meanwhile, positive sentiment towards GO plc persisted further as the equity climbed by a further 0.4% to the €4.98 level after partially retreating from a new multi-year high of €5.00. A total of 14,785 shares traded. Shareholders as at April 24 will be eligible to a net ordinary dividend of €0.14 per share for the 2018 financial year as well as a special interim dividend of €0.41 per share.
PG plc added 1.5% to regain the €1.38 level across 14,250 shares.
Following Monday's upsurge of 10%, Mapfre Middlesea plc jumped by a further 3.6% to the €2.28 level after recording a fresh over two-year high of €2.30. A total of 35,008 shares changed hands. On Wednesday, the insurance specialist is due to publish its 2018 full-year results.
GlobalCapital plc soared by 25% to the €0.30 level albeit on trivial volumes.
On Monday, Main Street Complex plc revealed that it has assigned the last available retail space to a new tenant. As a result, the company’s commercial premises are now fully leased out. The equity remained inactive today.
Following the strong gains registered in the previous five days, the RF MGS Index retreated by 0.16% to 1,111.316 points today. Once again, volatility across euro sovereign bond yields was elevated amid speculation that the new targeted long-term refinancing operations unveiled by the ECB last week will be of less significance than previously estimated.
Stock markets are volatile and subject to fluctuations which cannot be reasonably foreseen. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.