The MSE Share Index climbed 0.3 per cent closing at almost a two-and-a-half year high of 3,463.451 points, mainly on the back of increases in the share prices of the three retail banks.
The share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc edged 1.1 per cent higher to regain the €2.72,9 level on low volumes of 5,895 shares with the equity still trading with the entitlement to the interim gross dividend of 10c per share.
The equity turns ex-dividend as from Tuesday. Similarly, new bids lifted the share price of Bank of Valletta plc marginally higher to €2.32,6 across 14 trades totalling 24,393 shares.
Lombard Bank Malta plc’s shares also advanced during this morning’s session as 16,000 shares changed hands at the €1.90 level representing a 2.7 per cent increase from the previous closing price.
The only other positive performing equity was RS2 Software plc as it inched 0.7 per cent higher to a new all-time high of €1.33 on low volumes of 3,700 shares. The company still has to publish the date of the interim results announcement.
On the other hand, GO plc only partially recovered from an intra-day low of €1.60 to end this morning’s session at the €1.62 level representing a 1.8 per cent drop from the previous close on low volumes of 3,000 shares. The telecoms quad-play operator is scheduled to reveal its half-year figures on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, no change was registered in the share price of Malta International Airport plc as a last minute trade once again forced its share price to fall from an intra-day high of €2.04 back to the €2 level.
A total of 3,220 shares changed hands today ahead of the interim results publication later on this afternoon.
International Hotel Investments plc shares also closed unchanged at the 89c level on a single deal of 1,000 shares. Investors are still awaiting further developments with respect to the sale of the twelve luxury apartments in London. The group is also due to publish its 2013 interim results in the coming weeks.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index was relatively unchanged at 1,025.489 points as the Central Bank of Malta Stockbroker made minor changes to its bid prices of Malta Government Stocks (MGS).
Volatility characterised international bond markets as yesterday’s comments by US Federal Reserve officials were counterbalanced by better-than-expected German industrial output as well as the pledge by the Bank of England that it will maintain rates at the prevailing historically low levels until unemployment drops back to the seven per cent - a level expected to be reach in around three years.
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