The share index slipped 0.3 per cent to a fresh one-week low of 4,207.266 points whilst trading activity rebounded with over €0.32 million worth of local equities changing hands during this morning’s session.
Today’s decline in the local equity benchmark was largely due to the 1.3 per cent drop in the share price of Malta International Airport back to the €3.90 level albeit on shallow volumes of 5,000 shares.
Yesterday evening, the airport operator revealed a 7.1 per cent increase in passenger movements during the month of July to 547,970 passengers on the back of a 2.4 percentage point increase in the seat load factor to 85.2 per cent as well as a 4.4 per cent increase in aircraft movements.
MIA’s equity will trade with the entitlement to the net interim dividend of 3c per share until next Monday.
However, the worst performer was FIMBank with a 9.1 per cent drop back to the 45cUS level across three deals totalling 7,940 shares.
Yesterday, the trade finance specialist published its 2015 half-year report revealing a net loss of just over $8 million as the positive operating performance registered during the period under review was contrasted by some legacy, residual impairments and extraordinary costs arising primarily from restructuring and consolidation activities.
The only other negative performing equity was RS2 Software with a minimal decline back to the €2.14,9 level on a single trade of 4,880 shares.
On the other hand, the share price of HSBC edged 0.5 per cent higher to recapture the €1.85 level across three deals totalling 40,851 shares.
Similarly, Malita Investments gained 2.7 per cent to 95c on volumes of 20,000 shares. Today was the last day for investors for gain entitlement to the net interim dividend. The equity will trade ex-dividend as from tomorrow.
Meanwhile Bank of Valletta maintained the €2.30 level on strong volumes of 62,271 shares.
Likewise, GO held on to the €3.48 level on volumes of just over 6,000 shares ahead of the 2015 interim results publication next Tuesday.
Simonds Farsons Cisk initially touched a new all-time high of €5.30 before easing back to the €5.25 level on shallow volumes of 1,964 shares.
Similarly, in the property segment, Tigné Mall held on to the 87c level on volumes of 15,000 shares and Santumas Shareholdings maintained the €2.05 level on a single deal of 2,420 shares.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index eased 0.4 per cent lower to 1,129.881 points as the benchmark 10-year eurozone yield jumped to a two-week high of 0.76 per cent this morning in anticipation of the monetary policy meeting of the Bank of England.
However, this afternoon, after it was revealed that only one member voted in favour of an interest rate hike during the meeting, yields receded back to around the 0.71 per cent level.