The stock exchange Share Index slipped 0.6% to a 3-week low of 3,695.927 points as the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc slumped 2.7% to the €2.53 level across fourteen trades totalling 13,115 shares. The Bank is scheduled to publish its 2013 full-year results next Monday 24 February.
Three other equities also trended lower amid shallow volumes. RS2 Software plc eased minimally lower to €2.364 on a small deal of 500 shares and Middlesea Insurance plc declined by 6% back to the €0.94 level on just 230 shares. Similarly, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc ended the session 1.2% lower at the €2.965 across a total of 1,550 shares after trading at its all-time high of €3.00 level for most of this morning’s session.
On the other hand, new bids helped the equity of Bank of Valletta plc back into positive territory with a 0.2% increase to close at the €2.485 on volumes of 53,730 shares.
Sustained demand lifted the share price of GO plc higher for the sixth consecutive session with a further 1% increase to an almost 4-year high of €2.20 on volumes of 5,265 shares.
Amongst the large cap equities, Malta International Airport plc regained its all-time high of €2.20 representing a 1.1% increase from the previous close on volumes of 4,360 shares.
The only other positive performing equity was Crimsonwing plc with a 2.4% increase to the €0.84 level on a single trade of 10,000 shares. Last week Crimsonwing issued its Interim Directors’ Statement revealing that during the third quarter of the Group’s financial year (October to December 2013) revenues continued to improve and as such the Group is well placed to exceed its €20 million revenue target for the current financial year to 31 March 2014.
Meanwhile, International Hotel Investments plc held on to the €0.88 level across 934 shares. CHI’s CEO Simon Naudi explained in an interview published online on The National that IHI is seeking to expand across Europe as well as obtain a presence in North America and the Arabian Gulf. In this respect, IHI is still considering a secondary listing to raise the necessary financing for this planned expansion.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index reversed last Friday’s increase with an equivalent 0.1% drop back to 1,025.306 points as Eurozone yields rebounded to the 1.7% level on renewed risk appetite. This is mainly due to the announcement by the international rating agency Moody’s which lifted its outlook on Italy from “negative” to “stable”.
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