The MSE Equity Total Return Index registered contrasting performances during the week, as it closed 0.021 per cent lower at 8,597.116 points. In the equity market, 22 companies were active of which eight gained ground and 11 headed south. Total turnover was up again – €1.92 million was registered over 293 deals.

In the banking industry, Bank of Valletta plc and HSBC Bank Malta plc helped cushion the index’s fall. The former registered a 0.55 per cent increase in share price while the latter appreciated by 1.68 per cent, as they both closed at €1.82. BOV featured in 75 trades worth €459,000 while HSBC registered a turnover of €87,850 over 17 deals.

FIMBank plc declined by 8.82 per cent while Lombard Bank plc closed unchanged. The US dollar denominated equity settled at $0.62 while Lombard remained at the €2.30 price level. FIMBank plc was active over five trades, in which 34,163 shares exchanged hands. Lombard Bank plc traded on 10 different occasions for a total turnover of €127,000.

In the telecommunications sector, GO plc lost all of last week’s gains, as the equity depreciated by 1.69 per cent, to close at €3.50. A total of 51,985 shares were exchanged over 16 transactions.

Four trades worth just over €25,000 in total in International Hotel Investments plc shares affected the share price negatively by 1.56 per cent, to close at €0.63.

In the food and beverage industry, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc was down again, this time by a minimal 0.67 per cent, to close at €7.45, as 1,650 shares were traded over two deals.

A single trade of 250 Mapfre Middlesea plc shares pushed the price up by 3.93 per cent, to close at €1.85. Tigne Mall plc and Loqus Holdings plc were also active over single trades. The former declined by 1.9%, to close at €1.03, while the latter soared by 70.91 per cent, to close at €0.188. Total shares which exchanged hands were 2,000 for Tigne Mall plc and 3,700 for Loqus Holdings plc.

Property sector counterparts, Trident Estates plc, MIDI plc, Malita Investments plc, Malta Properties Company plc and Plaza Centres plc all registered contrasting performances. Trident Estates plc surged by 20.92 per cent, to close at €1.85. This performance was achieved over 31 deals worth €147,000. On the contrary, the other four equities registered declines which ranged from 0.5 per cent to a substantial 8 per cent.

MIDI plc fell by 0.57 per cent, to close at €0.346 while Malita Investments plc slipped by 2.38 per cent, to close at €0.82.

Plaza Centres plc experienced a drop in value of 0.98 per cent, as it settled at €1.01 – over seven deals worth €38,800 in total. Malta Properties Company plc was the worst performer of the sector, as a decline of 7.96 per cent was registered over 18 deals, in which 186,244 shares changed ownership.

Malta International Airport plc shares recouped all of last week’s losses as a 2.94 per cent increase in share price was registered.

The price at the end of the week read €4.90, as 18,618 shares were exchanged over 15 deals. As a matter of fact, on Tuesday, MIA announced that it has started 2018 with an upswing of 16.7 per cent in passenger numbers.

MaltaPost plc was also active, albeit on thin turnover, but failed to move from the €1.91 price level.

Santumas Shareholdings plc was the other non-mover for the week, as it closed at €1.51.

RS2 Software plc was yet again in the red for the sixth consecutive week. The equity dropped by 5 per cent following relatively heavy trading of €215,000 among 37 deals.

The price at the end of yesterday’s session read €1.33.

Two deals worth over €28,481 pushed the share price of Grand Harbour Marina plc back up by 1.39 per cent, to close at €0.73.

Retail conglomerate PG plc announced that its recently incorporated fully-owned subsidiary, PG Developments Limited, acquired the property in Qormi Road, Marsa.

The full consideration for the 3,200 square metre property was €3.5m, of which €1m was paid on signing the deed of sale, while the remaining balance of €2.5m shall be paid over 30 months from the date of the deed of sale.

The company intends to develop the site into commercial premises, comprising principally of office space for rent. This announcement translated into a positive market sentiment, as the equity appreciated by 3.70 per cent.

The oil and gas logistics specialist Medserv plc replicated last week’s performance as it was down again, this time by 3.33 per cent, to close at €1.16. This was the outcome of 13 transactions in which 52,870 shares changed hands.

The sovereign debt market was directionless as out of the 23 active issues, 11 appreciated while 10 declined. The 5.1% MGS 2022 headed the list of gainers, as it registered a positive movement of 3.87 per cent, to close at €127.50.

The corporate debt posted rather mixed performances as out of 43 active issues, 20 traded higher while 14 lost ground.

As opposed to last week, the 5% GlobalCapital plc Unsecured € 2021 registered the best performance, that of 1.44 per cent, to close at €98.90.

Also in this market, the board of directors of 6PM met to approve the Interim Financial Statements for the period between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017.

The company announced that it had registered a loss after taxation amounted to £4.6 million compared to the re-stated loss of £1.3 million registered in the corresponding period in 2016.