The MSE Share Index eased 0.1 per cent lower today to 3,227.954 points as the share prices of Bank of Valletta plc and Malta International Airport plc traded lower.
The bank’s equity failed to hold on to a fresh 52-week high of €2.27 as it drifted 0.4 per cent lower to the €2.25,1 level across 10 trades totalling 14,680 shares. Meanwhile, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc held on to the €2.70 level on volumes of 16,160 shares.
The airport operator’s equity eased 0.6 per cent lower to the €1.75 level on low volumes of 1,924 shares.
Meanwhile, earlier this morning, MIA held a press conference announcing record passenger movements for the third consecutive year.
MIA’s CEO Markus Klaushofer that during 2012 passenger movements increased by 4.1 per cent to 3.65 million on the back of a 1.1 per cent growth in seat capacity to 4.66 million seats as well as a 2.3 percentage increase in the seat load factor to 78.3 per cent.
Moreover, the CEO of MIA this morning revealed that the company expects passenger numbers to grow by a further 1.5 per cent in 2013 to yet another record of over 3.7 million passengers.
FIMBank plc slipped into negative territory this morning with a further one per cent decline to the US$1.01 level across 29,500 shares.
The trade finance specialist is scheduled to hold an extraordinary general meeting on January 31 seeking shareholders’ approval on a joint-offer by Burgan Bank and United Gulf Bank (UGB), both subsidiaries of the Kuwaiti based KIPCO Group, which will ultimately lead to the two banks having a combined majority shareholding in FIMBank.
On the other hand, the share price of GO plc continue to edge higher with an increase of a further 0.8 per cent to a fresh 17-month high of €1.28 across five deals totalling 7,250 shares.
Similarly, Crimsowning plc’s equity reversed some of last week’s declines with a 1.9 per cent increase to regain the 55c level on a trade of just over 1,100 shares. Low volumes were also transacted in the shares of RS2 Software plc with the equity remaining unchanged at the all-time high of 85c.
Likewise, no changes were registered in the share price of MaltaPost plc during this morning’s session as just over 1,000 shares changed hands at the 95c level.
Meanwhile, higher volumes were transacted in Plaza Centres plc with 73,200 shares changing hands at the 55c level, representing no change from the previous close.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index slipped 0.1 per cent lower to 1,009.021 points as Eurozone yields again surpassed the 1.6 per cent level after it was revealed that German investor sentiment touched its highest levels in over two and half years.
This suggests that the adverse impact from the prevailing crisis in the Eurozone on Germany is somewhat abating.
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