Trading volumes surged during this morning’s session surpassing the equivalent value of €500,000 in a single day for only the second time this year.
Amid this high turnover, the MSE Share Index gained for the first time this week with a 0.1% increase to regain the 3,315.828 points.
The upturn in the local equity benchmark was mainly due to the 0.9% increase in the share price of Bank of Valletta plc as the equity partially recovered from the losses of the past three days.
Renewed demand entered the market at 39,912 shares traded at €2.25 helping the equity rise from yesterday’s five-week low. Notwithstanding today’s upturn, the equity of BOV closed the week 1.5% lower.
GO plc also closed today’s session in positive territory as it recovered from an intra-day low of €1.38,5 to reach a fresh 23-month high of €1.41 across seven trades totalling 10,000 shares. The board of directors is scheduled to meet next Wednesday to consider and approve the financial results for 2012 and the payment of a final dividend.
On the other hand, FIMBank plc slid 3.5% lower to the 98cUS level despite still trading with the entitlement to the final net dividend of 3.69cUS. Volumes increased to 380,500 shares today.
Likewise, MaltaPost plc’s shares traded 1% lower back to the €1.02 level on a deal of 65,000 shares.
Meanwhile, Lombard Bank Malta plc held on to the €1.91,5 level across 6,260 shares following yesterday’s publication of financial results and the recommendation of a 4.3% increase in the final gross dividend to 12c per share and a one for 10 bonus share issue.
Further demand remained outstanding at the closing price with lowest offers now at €1.99,8.
RS2 Software plc also ended the session unchanged at the 90c5 level on a single deal of 35,000 shares.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index jumped to a new 29-month high of 1,012.173 points after the Central Bank of Malta stockbroker raised its bid prices to new highs for the medium and long-term MGS.
In contrast, Eurozone yields were trading with a tight range of between 1.47% and 1.48% as markets await developments from the Parliament sitting in Italy and the summit of EU leaders currently underway.
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