Following two consecutive sessions of increases, the share index trended in negative territory today with a marginal drop to 4,697.378 points largely due to the 1.4% decline in HSBC.
MIA also eased minimally lower whilst RS2, Lombard and Tigne Mall trended higher. A further four equities, including BOV and Medserv, ended the session unchanged.
Trading activity slowed down on the final trading day of June with just over €255,000 worth of shares changing hands. Over the week, the local equity benchmark trended 0.3% higher, mainly due to the weekly uplifts in IHI (+3%) and RS2 (+6.2%).
Today, RS2 Software trended higher for the eighth consecutive trading session with a further 1.2% increase to reach yet another 2017 high of €1.72 across 10 deals totalling 38,876 shares.
New bids helped the equity of Tigne Mall partially recover this week’s earlier decline as it rebounded by 7.7% today to recapture the 98c (compared to Monday’s closing price of 90c1) albeit on a single trade of 1,000 shares.
The only other positive performing equity today was Lombard Bank as the equity moved 2.8% higher to regain the €2.36,5 level on volumes of 30,090 shares.
On the other hand, the share price of HSBC eased 1.4% lower back to the €2.05 level on shallow volumes of 6,581 shares.
Similarly, Malta International Airport eased marginally lower to €4.11,5 on just 800 shares.
Meanwhile, a total of 6,317 shares of Bank of Valletta traded unchanged at the €2.18 level.
Likewise, Medserv held on to the €1.30 level on a single deal of 870 shares.
Also, no changes were reported in the share price of Plaza Centres at the €1 level across a single trade of 10,000 shares.
Similarly, PG closed the last trading session of June unchanged at the €1.30 level after failing to hold on to an intra-day high of €1.30,1 on volumes of 58,800 shares.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index extended last Wednesday’s declines with a further 0.5% drop today to a fresh five-week low of 1,123.382 points as the rally across eurozone yields gained momentum yesterday and was also evident this morning.
The benchmark German Bund yield reached a fresh 14-week high of 0.475% in line with a global bond market sell-off triggered by comments from the European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and further supported by similar comments from the heads of the Bank of England and Bank of Canada.
The three central banks hinted at the possibility of tapering in the coming months.
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