The MSE Share Index shed 0.4 per cent to a one-week low of 3,389.193 points as most of the active equities during this morning’s session declined.

This included the equities of the two large banks with the share price of Bank of Valletta plc only partially recovering from an intra-day low of €2.12 to end the session 0.5 per cent below yesterday’s close across 16 deals totalling 39,308 shares.

Similarly, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc edged 0.5 per cent lower on volumes of 33,000 shares.

A single deal of 1,400 Malta International Airport plc shares was transacted at the €2.22 level, representing a 1.7 per cent drop from the previous close. The only other negative performing equity was RS2 Software plc as the equity failed to hold on to its all-time high of €2.73 as it eased 1.1 per cent back to the €2.70,1 level.

Meanwhile, no change was registered in the share price of FIMBank plc as a further 318 shares changed hands at the 70cUS level.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index edged higher for the fifth time in the last six sessions with a further 0.1 per cent increase to yet another high of 1,044.166 points as Eurozone yields dipped back to the 1.37 per cent level. Investors favoured ‘safe-haven’ investments given the uprising across the oil-rich country of Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the Bank of England yesterday indicated that a rate hike will probably happen in November 2014 - earlier than anticipated by the markets which expected the first rise in interest rates in early 2015.

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