The MSE Share Index shed one per cent during this morning’s session to a new three-week low of 3,435.174 points mainly due to the 6.3 per cent decline in International Hotel Investments plc to 75c (just above its 2013 low of 74c) on low volumes of 4,087 shares.
In the prospectus published this week in connection with a new €10 million bond issue, it was revealed that the sale of the 12 London apartments is now only expected to take place in 2014.
The local share index was also dragged lower by the 0.4 per cent decline in the share price of Bank of Valletta plc to €2.51 also on shallow volumes of almost 2,000 shares.
Today week, BOV will be issuing its September 2013 full-year financial statements and the board will also recommend the payment of a final dividend for approval by shareholders at the forthcoming annual general meeting in December.
The declines in IHI and BOV offset the positive performances of four other equities. GO plc moved marginally higher to €1.45,5 on a small deal of 1,360 shares. Likewise, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc inched minimally higher to €2.80 across 7,000 shares.
Similarly, Crimsonwing plc reversed yesterday’s 0.6 per cent drop with an equivalent increase during this morning’s session to regain the 84c5 level across 20,000 shares.
The share price of MIDI plc advanced by a further two per cent to 25c5 on high volumes of 282,500 shares.
Reports in the media published earlier this week revealed that the company has experienced a strong interest in the 39 apartments situated in the new Q1 block with almost three quarters of the apartments already reserved.
Meanwhile, no changes were registered in the share prices of the three other active equities. In the financial sector, HSBC Bank Malta plc held on to the €2.63 level on a deal of 1,000 shares and FIMBank plc maintained the 94USc5 on volumes of 1,100 shares.
The only other active equity was RS2 Software plc with 2,000 shares changing hands at the equity’s all-time high of €2.10 across two deals.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index edged higher for the fifth time in the last six sessions to a three-week high of 1,020.690 points in line with the continued decline in Eurozone yields back to the 1.75 per cent level (also the lowest in the last three weeks).
Yields have been under pressure following disappointing data across the US and Eurozone which in turn supported the idea of further stimulus measures by the respective central banks.
The Treasury of Malta this afternoon announced the prices of the new Malta Government Stocks. The three per cent MGS 2019 is being issued at 103.75 per cent giving a yield to maturity of 2.31 per cent per annum with the 4.65 per cent MGS 2032 priced at 100.25 per cent giving a yield to maturity of 4.63 per cent per annum.
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