The MSE Share Index advanced for the fifth consecutive session with a further 0.9 per cent increase during this morning’s session to reach a new six-week high of 3,463.060 points.
The rise in the equity benchmark registered in the last few days was mainly due to the rebound in the share prices of the two large banks.
HSBC Bank Malta plc edged two per cent higher to regain the €2.60 level across six deals totalling 20,240 shares.
Similarly, the share price of Bank of Valletta plc touched a new 2013 high of €2.47,9 before easing marginally to close the session at €2.47 which still represents a 1.7 per cent increase over the previous closing price.
BOV is expected to published its September 2013 full-year financial statements by the end of October.
The equity of Malta International Airport plc also ended the session in positive territory with a 1.6 per cent increase to regain the €1.95 level on low volumes of 3,065 shares.
The airport operator is expected to publish its September traffic results in the coming days.
On the other hand, GO plc succumbed to some further selling pressure as the equity slid to an intra-day low of €1.45 before partially recovering to end the session 0.7 per cent lower at the €1.47 level.
A total of 15,120 shares changed hands across six trades with further offers unsatisfied at the closing price and highest bids at the €1.40 level.
MaltaPost plc also dropped with the equity eased from near its all-time high of €1.10,5 back to the €1.07 level on low volumes of 7,376 shares.
Meanwhile, no change was registered in the share price of Middlesea Insurance plc at the 85c level on a single trade of 11,244 shares.
This morning RS2 Software plc held its extraordinary general meeting and the resolutions to amend the memorandum and articles of association were approved.
This paves the way for Barclays Bank plc to acquire a 10 per cent equity stake from the majority shareholder.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index eased 0.1 per cent lower to 1,020.385 points as Eurozone yields remained steady around the 1.8 per cent level on an increasing probability the Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta will survive a confidence vote.
In the meantime, the European Central Bank (ECB) this afternoon announced that it is holding its interest rate unchanged at the historically low 0.5 per cent as it awaits a more robust recovery across the 17-nation single currency bloc.
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