Daily Market Highlights (04.01.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index lost 0.47% to 4,497.276 points today mostly reflecting the declines in the share prices of HSBC and RS2 whilst only GlobalCapital trended higher. Trading activity on the local Borza continued to be centred around Bank of Valletta plc which maintained the €1.80 level across 180,245 shares – representing over 90% of the total value of equities traded today. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index trended higher for the first time in four days as it rebounded by 0.05% from its near six-month low of 1,113.148 points to 1,113.680 points. Euro zone sovereign yields drifted lower today (bond prices gained) following the strong uplifts registered in the past few days. On the economic front, a survey gauging the level of confidence among purchasing managers in the manufacturing and services sectors within the single currency area rose to the highest level in nearly seven years.
  • The equities of GO plc, PG plc and Mapfre Middlesea plc also closed the day unchanged as they maintained the €3.56, €1.40 and €1.82 levels on trivial volumes.
  • HSBC Bank Malta plc lost 2.2% back to the €1.75 level across 6,772 shares.
  • RS2 Software plc eased by 0.6% to the €1.53 level after partially recovering from an intra-day low of €1.47 (-4.5%). A total of 8,028 shares changed hands.
  • In the property segment, Malta Properties Company plc tumbled by 8.3% to the €0.44 level albeit on a single deal of just 2,000 shares.
  • The equity of Malita Investments plc also performed negatively today with a drop of 0.6% to the €0.815 level on light volumes totalling 2,500 shares. On 29 December 2017, the company announced that it executed an emphyteutical deed with the Housing Authority in relation to sixteen property sites in a number of locations across Malta which shall be used for the purposes of developing a number of residential units for affordable housing. The emphyteutical concession is for a period of 28 years.
  • Meanwhile, GlobalCapital plc gained 2.6% to recapture the €0.32 level across 3,000 shares. On 28 December 2017, the company revealed that its rights issue has been postponed for the second half of 2018, in view that its business strategy is currently being renewed in the light of the evolving business and regulatory environment.