Last Friday’s minimal decline in the MSE Share Index was short-lived as the local equity benchmark moved 0.1% higher today to close at 4,723.287 points – a near 9-year high.
During this morning’s session, HSBC, RS2 and MIDI trended in positive territory whilst MIA, FIMBank, Farsons and Plaza eased lower. A further four equities, including BOV and GO, ended the session unchanged.
The share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc added 1% to a fresh near 3-year high of €2.02 across 12 trades totalling 24,108 shares. The bank is scheduled to publish its full-year results on February 21.
RS2 Software plc also performed positively with an increase of 0.6% to €1.79 albeit on lower volumes of 4,900 shares.
The only other positive performer was MIDI plc with a 0.3% rise to the €0.33 level across 6,500 shares.
On the other hand, Malta International Airport plc shed 0.5% back to the €4.05 level on a small deal of 350 shares.
Similarly, FIMBank plc retreated by 1.1% back to the USD0.89 level across five deals totalling 45,000 shares.
Plaza Centres plc also trended in negative territory today with a 4.4% drop back to the €1.10 level across a single trade of 17,300 shares.
The only other negative performing equity was Simonds Farsons Cisk plc with a decline of 0.3% to €7.28 on low volumes of 590 shares.
Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc maintained the €2.17 level on high activity totalling 82,495 shares across 28 deals.
Similarly, Lombard Bank Malta plc held on to the €2.275 level although on much lower volumes of 1,892 shares.
GO plc and Malta Properties Company plc closed unchanged at €3.40 and €0.53 respectively across shallow volumes.
The RF MGS Index extended its negative trend as it shed a further 0.3% today to a fresh 16-month low of 1,120.480 points as Eurozone yields remained close to the 0.5% early this morning. However, by this afternoon, the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield slid back to around the 0.466% level despite upbeat economic data from Spain, strengthening inflation in Germany and Eurozone economic sentiment at a near 6-year high.
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Stock markets are volatile and subject to fluctuations which cannot be reasonably foreseen. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.