The MSE Share Index started the week on a negative note as it retreated by 0.42% to a one-week low of 4,549.233 points. The decline was largely influenced by the drop in the equities of HSBC, BOV and MIA which outweighed the gains registered in the two other companies – GO and RS2. Trading activity recovered notably from last Friday’s seven-month low as nearly €462,000 worth of shares changed hands.

The worst performing equity of today’s trading session was Tigne’ Mall plc which fell by 7.7% to a one-month low of €1.06 across 48,200 shares. Shareholders as at 22 June will be eligible to receive a final net dividend of €0.0125 per share. This is payable on 12 July subject to shareholders’ approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held on 24 June 2016. 

In the retail banking segment, Bank of Valletta plc eased 0.9% to the €2.25 level across 33,968 shares while a single deal of just 63 shares pulled the equity of HSBC Bank Malta plc 2.1% lower to the €1.615 level. BOV’s equity will trade with the entitlement to the interim gross dividend of €0.0391 per share (net: €0.0254) until tomorrow. 

Also across the large companies, Malta International Airport plc retreated to the €4.34 level (-0.7%) across 11,584 shares. Last week, MIA published its traffic results for the month of April revealing a further 5.7% growth in passenger movements. During the first four months of the year, the airport operator handled a record 1.2 million passenger movements, up by 12% over the corresponding period last year. 

Medserv plc extended the negative trend of the past two weeks as it lost a further 1.3% to the €1.76 level across 12,100 shares. The oil and gas logistics company is due to hold its AGM on 30 May. 

Ahead of the publication of the 2015 full-year results on 12 May, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc closed at the €6.299 – minimally lower than last Friday’s eight-week high of €6.30 – on trivial volumes. 

In the meantime, Malta Properties Company plc and Plaza Centres plc maintained