The share index advanced by 0.6 per cent to 4,308.120 points as five equities closed higher, including RS2 Software, which reached yet another new all-time high of €2.45 on volumes of 16,270 shares.
The day’s top performer, however, was Grand Harbour Marina with a 5.8 per cent increase to close at €1, albeit on shallow volumes of 2,000 shares.
This was the first time that the equity traded since the company published its 2015 interim results.
During the period under review, the marina in Malta continued to register improvements despite not registering any long-term berth sales. This was mainly achieved through higher occupancy rate of the berths as well as further control on expenditure. The marina in Turkey also registered improvements in its performance on the back of a better utilisation of the water area.
Midi continued with its positive trend and advanced by 0.3 per cent to 36c across four deals totalling 30,800 shares. Last week the company published its 2015 interim results in which it revealed that during the period under review the group registered an improved net profit figure of €2.95 million compared to the net loss of €0.99 million incurred in the first half of 2014.
This was reached on the back of improved revenues largely reflecting the delivery of the first few apartments at the Q1 residential block, a 6.8 per cent increase in income from property and rental management and a tax credit of €3.6 million.
International Hotel Investments also featured among the top gainers as the equity advanced by 2.6 per cent to recapture the 80c level across 23,350 shares.
The other positive performer of the day was Malta International Airport as the airport operator closed the session up by 1.4 per cent to €3.89,5 across 8,050 shares.
Last Friday, the airport operator published its August traffic results showing a 6.1 per cent increase in passenger movements to an all-time monthly high of 585,218 passengers.
Most of the other traded equities closed the day unchanged, with the exception of Tigne’ Mall which marginally reversed some of its recent gains and closed 0.1 per cent lower to 92c9 across insignificant volumes of 1,000 shares.
In the financial services sector, Bank of Valletta maintained the €2.30 level across 6,755 shares while high volumes were transacted in HSBC (14,090 shares).
HSBC’s equity closed unchanged at €1.84,6 after opening at €1.83. The bank paid the recently declared interim gross dividend of 5c1 per share (net: 3c32) today. Meanwhile, Mapfre Middlesea closed at its all-time high of €2.25 across 8,582 shares.
Similarly, Medserv and Simonds Farsons Cisk closed unchanged at their respective all-time highs of €3 and €5.55 across shallow volumes.
Low volumes were also registered in GO and Malita Investments as both equities closed unchanged at €3.49,9 and 93c8 respectively.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index reversed yesterday’s decline and moved 0.1 per cent higher to 1,126.452 points as the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield dropped to 0.674 per cent this morning.
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