Bank of Valletta shares witnessed a decrease of 4c during the week after Monday's trading session opened at Lm4.84, while yesterday's session closed at Lm4.80. Total turnover amounted to 5,807 shares changing hands over 22 deals. At the end of yesterday's session, bids for 900 shares at Lm4.75 and offers of 1,000 shares at Lm4.80 made up the best unsatisfied closing positions.
Trading in HSBC shares opened the week at Lm4.83 on Monday and closed yesterday's session at Lm4.80. A total of 25,133 shares changed hands over 34 deals. As yesterday's session drew to a close, 205 shares at Lm4.78 and 62 shares at Lm4.80 were the best unsatisfied bids and offers respectively.
Meanwhile, Maltacom shares opened the week at Lm1.399 on Monday and went down to close the week at Lm1.36 yesterday. A total of 28,131 shares changed hands during the week, spread over 22 deals. Best bids for 4,450 shares at Lm1.36 and best offers of 612 shares at Lm1.37 remained outstanding when yesterday's session drew to a close.
In a company announcement issued on Tuesday, Middlesea Insurance plc announced that an extraordinary resolution is to be presented at the general meeting that was going to be held yesterday evening. If approved, the company will be authorised to acquire up to a maximum number of 1,250,000 of its own ordinary shares. The authorisation hereby given to the company expires at the end of the next annual general meeting or on December 19, 2006, whichever is the earliest. The consideration which the company is authorised to pay with respect to each of such shares, shall not be less than Lm1.16 per share and not more than Lm3.48 per share.
In another company announcement issued on Tuesday, the board of directors of Datatrak Holdings plc published the group's preliminary statement of operations for the year ended on December 31, 2004. These showed a turnover figure of Lm1,204,660 (December 2003: Lm920,000); loss for the year attributable to shareholders of Lm249,607 (December 2003: loss of Lm425,000) and a loss per share of 1c6 (December 2003: 2c6).
On Tuesday, Datatrak holdings plc announced that Alex Falzon has resigned from his post as chief executive officer of the company. Joe Fenech Conti has been appointed as acting chief executive officer of the company and the company is currently negotiating terms and conditions with Fenech Conti with a view to appointing him as chief executive officer of the company.
On Wednesday, Datatrak holdings p.l.c. stated that the annual general meeting of Datatrak Holdings plc shall be held on Friday, July 29, at 10 a.m.
The other equities which traded during the week appear below, followed by the range in which trading took place: 15,000 Lombard Bank shares at Lm5.15; 13,871 Middlesea Insurance shares between Lm3.31 and Lm3.30; 7,680 Simonds Farsons Cisk shares between Lm1.00 and Lm0.95; 15,677 International Hotel Investments shares between €79 and €0.789; 23,700 Plaza Centres shares at Lm0.63; 50,000 FIM Bank shares between USD1.22 and USD1.21 and 19,188 Malta International Airport shares between Lm1.33 and Lm1.31.
Total Malta Government Stock turnover amounted to a nominal value of Lm2,291,000 being traded in one hundred and fifteen deals over twenty-five different stocks. In particular, the latest issue of Government Stocks, namely the five per cent MGS 2021 (I) FI Tranche B went up to Lm103.50 per Lm100 nominal during the week. The bid price issued by the Central Bank of Malta for the said MGS is Lm102 per Lm100 nominal. Trading over the week in corporate bonds was made up of a total value of Lm205,415.
The Malta Stock Exchange share index decreased by 30.101 points or 0.9 per cent over the week and now stands at 3,347.77.
Azzopardi Investment Management Limited and its directors have an interest in the listed companies mentioned and may have an interest in other securities, commodities or currencies mentioned.