The MSE Share Index closed in negative territory for the first time this year as it declined by 0.14% to 4,457.636 points. Most noticeably, the equity of RS2 closed at an all-time high. Trading volumes abated from yesterday’s level as €240,500 worth of shares changed hands.
The worst performer of today’s trading session was MaltaPost plc as the equity of the postal operator shed 3.1% to the €1.88 level across 23,500 shares. The company will be holding its Annual General Meeting on 15 January whereby the Board of Directors will be recommending the payment of final net dividend of €0.04 per share and the option to shareholders of receiving the dividend either in cash or by the issue of new shares at an Attribution Price of €1.80 per share.
The equities of Medserv plc and Tigne’ Mall plc closed at the €1.72 (-1.7%) and €0.94 (-1.1%) levels respectively across shallow volumes. Eligible Medserv shareholders have until 18 January to take up their rights to participate in the recently announced 2 for 9 Rights Issue at €1.50 per share.
Moreover, investors have until 15 January to participate in an Intermediaries’ Offers, comprising of a €30 million Bonds Issue and the Rights not taken up by the Company’s two largest shareholders (worth €9.56 million). All of the funds raised from both the Rights Issue and the Bonds Issue will be primarily used for the acquisition of the METS Group.
In the banking sector, HSBC Bank Malta plc and Lombard Bank Malta plc also finished lower. The equity of HSBC moved back below the €1.80 level as it lost 1.7% to close at €1.77 across 7,170 shares.
A thin trade of just 300 shares of Lombard Bank Malta plc was negotiated at the €2.45 level, representing a 1.4% decline from its previous closing price.
Within the same sector, the equity of Bank of Valletta plc remained flat at the €2.375 level (20,530 shares). Shareholders have until 13 January for the entitlement to the 1 for 12 bonus share.
The equities of International Hotel Investments plc and Mapfre Middlesea plc also closed unchanged at the €0.75 and €2.30 levels across single trades totalling 6,660 and 5,000 shares respectively.
Meanwhile, the prices of four equities ended in positive territory. Malta Properties Company plc was the best performer with a gain of 5.8% to the €0.55 level across 99,000 shares.
The equity of RS2 Software plc closed at a new record high of €3.18 (+0.6%) across 7,100 shares.
Similarly, Malta International Airport plc regained its all-time high of €4.05 (+1.3%) across 8,670 shares.
GO plc also trended higher, as it advanced by 0.7% to the €3.07 level albeit on insignificant volumes.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index jumped to a four-week high of 1,140.793 points (+.31%) as the yield of the 10-year German Bund slid from the 0.56% level yesterday to 0.52% today – the lowest level since the European Central Bank (ECB) eased monetary policy last month.
A number of factors triggered the search for safe haven assets across the board, namely weak euro zone inflationary data as the price of oil hit a new eleven-year low, renewed concern over the health of the Chinese economy and geo-political tensions in the Middle East and, to a lesser extent, in East Asia.
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