The MSE Equity Total Return Index partially erased last week’s gain as it slipped 0.691 per cent to 8,479.915 points. A total of 22 equities were active this week, 12 of which lost ground, while another five increased in value.
An impressive turnover of €2.9 million was generated over 305 deals, higher than last week’s figure of €1.9 million.
Bank of Valletta plc traded heavily as 143,977 shares changed ownership over 58 deals.
As a result, the equity edged 0.29 per cent, to a price of €1.745.
HSBC Bank Malta plc followed suit as it closed the week at €1.71, a decline of 1.72 per cent. Trading volume totalled 86,900 shares across 17 transactions. Yesterday, the company issued an interim directors’ statement, reporting a decline in profit before tax for the first three months of 2018, when compared to the first quarter of 2017.
The worst performing banking equity this week was FIMBank plc, as it sank 5.45 per cent to $0.52. This was the outcome of 11 trades of a combined 122,339 shares. A sole transaction of 9,500 Lombard Bank Malta plc shares dragged the share price down by 1.71 per cent to €2.30.
Telecommunications company GO plc registered a similar performance as it was down 1.72 per cent to close at €3.42. Over the week, 13 deals of a combined 89,377 shares were recorded.
MIDI plc was one of the few positives this week, as it soared a remarkable 15.18 per cent over 35 transactions of 491,528 shares.
Also in the property market, Malta Properties Company plc also enjoyed a strong week as it hiked 6.8 per cent as a result of four straight positive sessions.
The equity closed at €0.55.
Malita Investments plc traded heavily as 305,624 shares were negotiated across 21 trades. However, the share price moved in a downward direction by 2.33 per cent, closing at €0.84.
The worst performer of the session was also in the property sector, as Trident Estates plc plunged 9.09 per cent to €1.40 across seven deals of 13,514 shares.
On Wednesday, Trident an-nounced the financial results for the year ended January 31, 2018.
The equity generated a profit before tax of €437,000, significantly lower than the €5.1 million registered during the previous year.
No other property equities registered price movements as both Plaza Centres plc and Tigne Mall plc closed unchanged.
Malta International Airport plc (MIA) erased all the gains registered during the week to close unchanged at €4.96, despite generating a turnover of €329,417 over 33 deals.
The most liquid equity was Simonds Farsons Cisk plc as 82,455 shares traded across nine transactions. The share price fell by 2.24 per cent to close at a low of €6.55.
In the retail sector, PG plc followed suit, as it lost 3.03 per cent in value to €1.28.
RS2 Software plc fell to a five-year-low of €1.10 on Wednesday, before partially recovering to €1.17. In total, 135,654 shares changed hands over 30 deals.
A couple of trades of 49,710 GlobalCapital plc shares had a negative impact on the share price as it sank to €0.32.
Also in the insurance sector, a single transaction of 590 Mapfre Middlesea plc shares had no bearing on the share price of €2.04.
SanTumas Shareholdings plc also traded on slim volume as 10,881 shares changed hands over two deals. The effect on the share price however was positive, as it started a recovery from last week’s significant drop, regaining 4 per cent, to close at €1.04.
Medserv plc advanced 1.82 per cent to a price of €1.12, as a result of six transactions of 51,000 shares executed during mid-week.
Grand Harbour Marina plc traded flat at €0.75 across three deals of 57,000 shares.
International Hotel Investments plc traded eight times as 46,693 shares were exchanged. As a result, the equity recovered last week’s loss to reach €0.63.
MaltaPost plc closed lower at €1.75, being the outcome of five trades on slim volume.
In the corporate debt market, a total of 42 issues were active during the week, generating a turnover of €1.9 million over 203 deals. Gainers totalled 20 securities while fallers amounted to half.
On a positive note, the 5.75% International Hotel Investments plc Unsecured € 2025 partially recovered the previous week’s loss as it climbed 1.86% to €109.50.
The best performer however was the 5% Dizz Finance plc Unsecured € 2026 as it was up to a price of €108.85. The 4.8% Bank of Valletta Plc Sub € 2020 on the other hand, headed the list of fallers as a price decline of 1.95 per cent was recorded, closing at €100.80.
Yields in the sovereign debt market were up as from the 24 active issues, 19 traded lower while the rest headed north. A total turnover of €4.4 million was generated over 142 transactions in the Malta Government Stocks market.
The longer-dated issues posted the largest losses in value, in fact the largest decline was registered by the longest-dated issue, the 2.4% MGS 2041 (I) which drifted 1.81 per cent to €106.04. The most liquid issue was the 2.1% MGS 2039 (I) representing a third of the total turnover generated in the sovereign debt market. The outcome was a decline of 0.44 per cent.
One of the few exceptions was the 2.2% MGS 2035 (I), gaining 0.8% to closing at €105.20.