Trading activity was robust across local equities on the stock exchange this morning with almost €400,000 worth of shares changing hands. The MSE Share Index moved back into positive territory as it edged 0.1% higher to 3,706.844 points.
Four equities traded higher today including the shares of HSBC Bank Malta plc which edged 0.2% higher to close at €2.55 across 9,200 shares. Similarly, a single trade of 5,000 GO plc shares was transacted at a fresh 3-year high of €1.885 representing a 1.3% increase over the previous close.
The share price of FIMBank plc climbed by 3.2% to the US$0.98 level on volumes of 10,400 shares. Shortly after the close of today’s trading session, the trade finance specialist announced that it has submitted a request to the Listing Authority to maintain its listing status in spite of the fact that the number of shares in the hands of the public has fallen below the 25% threshold following the recent joint voluntary bid by Burgan Bank and United Gulf Bank.
The only other positive performing equity was MIDI plc with a 5.3% rise to €0.297 across five deals totalling 89,762 shares.
On the other hand, following the recent appreciation in its share price, the equity of Bank of Valletta plc today eased 0.7% lower to the €2.48 level on volumes of 48,794 shares.
MaltaPost plc also continued to slip from its all-time high with a further 1.8% decline back to the €1.12 level on high volumes of 52,703 shares. Likewise, high volumes were transacted in Crimsonwing plc. The share price slipped 3% lower to the €0.81 level across 150,000 shares. The IT Group is expected to publish its Interim Directors’ Statement in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the only other active equity was RS2 software plc which ended the session unchanged at the €2.30 level across 9,720 shares.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index inched marginally higher to 1,027.204 points as Eurozone yields slipped back to fresh 5-month lows of 1.63%. Demand for ‘safe-haven’ assets increased today after fresh concerns over the sustainability of economic growth in emerging markets were triggered by the reduction of a further US$10 billion in the US Federal Reserve asset purchase programme to US$65 billion a month.
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