The MSE Share Index this morning declined by 0.3 per cent to 3,539.863 points as the equity of Bank of Valletta plc turned ex-dividend.
BOV’s share price slipped by 1.9 per cent to €2.62,9 on low volumes of just over 6,000 shares as the equity no longer trades with the entitlement to the final gross dividend of 13c per share.
This dividend will now be paid on December 20 subject to shareholders approval at the upcoming annual general meeting scheduled to be held on December 19.
Among other resolutions shareholders will be asked to approve the one for nine bonus share issue payable to all shareholders as at the close of trading on January 14.
The only other negative performer was Plaza Centres plc with a 0.9 per cent dip back to the 56c5 level on low volumes of 2,775 shares.
On the other hand, new bids emerged for RS2 Software plc shares lifting the share price 2.8 per cent higher to yet another new all-time high of €2.35 across 12 deals totalling 42,266 shares.
The IT company yesterday published its interim directors’ statement revealing advanced contract negotiations, which are expected to be concluded in early 2014, both for its licensing activity as well as for service-providing and managed services (provided through the fully owned subsidiary RS2 Smart Processing Ltd).
RS2 is also actively considering opening a sales and support office in Latin America.
Similarly, the shares of 6pm Holdings plc advanced by 4.1 per cent to 96p3 also on the back of a positive interim directors’ statement.
The directors explained that the company has been in profits for over two years as it has successfully managed to convert itself from a services company to a products based company with the launch of new clinical solutions particularly in the UK health sector.
Furthermore, the focus on profitability should enable the directors to declare a dividend in respect of the 2013 financial year. A total of 9,424 shares changed hands today with best bids already placed higher at the 64p level.
GO plc shares also featured amongst today’s positive performers with a 0.6 per cent increase to regain the €1.58 level across 10,470 shares. Simonds Farsons Cisk plc gained 1.8 per cent to the €2.90 level on a single deal of 2,530 shares. The equity had briefly touched a record level of €2.95 on June 27.
Low volumes were registered in MaltaPost plc shares with the equity inching 0.9% higher to a fresh record of €1.12 across 3,000 shares. The company is scheduled to publish its preliminary full-year results for the financial year ended September 30 on December 6.
Meanwhile, no changes were registered in HSBC Bank Malta plc and Malta International Airport plc. The banking equity held on to the €2.66 level on volumes of 16,450 shares with the share price of the airport operator failing to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.11 to end the session unchanged at the €2.10 level on thin volumes of 1,400 shares.
Earlier this week, the airport operator published its interim directors’ statement revealing that it expects to register in excess of 3.9 million passenger movements this year and that the financial results for 2013 will be ahead of those recorded in 2012.
A single trade of 49,000 Tigné Mall plc shares was executed at the 50c5 level also representing no change from the previous close.
This afternoon, Lombard Bank Malta plc published its interim statement explaining that interest margins remained healthy resulting in a positive operating income trend.
Nonetheless, the bank is expected to be affected by a higher incidence of loan impairment allowances in line with the recommendations of the Central Bank of Malta as well as new Eurozone wide regulation to be implemented next year.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index improved by a further 0.1 per cent to a fresh 10-day high of 1,020.945 points as Eurozone yields remained just above the 1.7 per cent level amid plans to by the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank to maintain stimulus measures.
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