Daily Market Highlights (04.04.16)

  • The MSE Share Index started the week on a positive note as it inched 0.67% higher to 4,575.440 points. Activity was spread across fourteen equities – nine registered gains, three closed unchanged whilst only two shares suffered declines. Trading activity across the equity market improved to €473,000, largely on heightened activity in the equity of RS2. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index advanced by 0.10% to 1,156.215 points – the highest level since early March 2015 – as the 10-year benchmark German Bund yield slipped from 0.16% last Friday to 0.14% today. Yields dropped on expectations that eurozone bond redemptions will outweigh new issuances this month and due to falling oil prices pushing down inflationary expectations apart from the expanded Quantitative Easing programme of the European Central Bank which came into force last Friday. On the economic front, a survey tracking sentiment among investors and analysts in the eurozone came in slightly higher for the first time this year but below expectations.
  • RS2 Software plc briefly touched the €3.80 level before settling at €3.799 – representing an uplift of 0.5% over last Friday’s closing price. A total of 34,565 shares having a market value of €131,000 traded today. RS2 extended its positive streak to nine trading sessions.
  • Relatively healthy volumes were also registered in the equity of Medserv plc. The oil and gas logistics specialist advanced by 2.3% to a 10-week high of €1.77 across 56,033 shares.
  • All three retail banks closed today’s trading session in the black. The best performing equity was HSBC Bank Malta plc as it regained the €1.66 level (+3.8%) across 6,761 shares.
  • Bank of Valletta plc advanced 0.3% to the €2.276 level across 11,866 shares while a single deal of 9,660 shares lifted the equity of Lombard Bank Malta plc to the €2.22 level (+0.9%).
  • Following the recent disclosure of record profits during 2015 and the declaration of a final net dividend of €0.007 per share, MIDI plc continued to march higher as it gained 2.6% to the €0.39 level – the highest in four years – across 132,476 shares. The dividend is payable to shareholders as at close of trading on Thursday 7 April.
  • Within the same segment, Malta Properties Company plc advanced by 0.2% to the €0.561 level across 17,153 shares.
  • 6PM Holdings plc climbed to a new all-time high of GBP0.875 (+2.9%) across 28,000 shares. Last week 6PM revealed that, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of a due diligence exercise, interested parties are expected to launch a voluntary bid in attempt to acquire all the shares of the Company. An Extraordinary General Meeting will be held in due course.
  • Simonds Farsons Cisk plc gained 1.0% to the €6.10 level on insignificant volumes.
  • Amongst the large companies, GO plc (5,906 shares) and International Hotel Investments plc (50,000 shares) closed unchanged at €3.45 and €0.64 respectively. The equity of GO will continue to trade with the entitlement to the recently declared final net dividend of €0.10 per share until this Thursday 7 April.
  • A single deal of just 475 shares left the equity of MaltaPost plc flat at the €1.98 level.
  • Meanwhile, FIMBank plc suffered its first daily loss in four weeks at it edged 0.1% lower to the USD0.734 level across 22,000 shares. Shareholders as at the close of trading on Wednesday 6 April will be eligible to the 1-for-25 bonus issue.
  • Malta International Airport plc dropped back to the €4.43 level (-1.5%) on volumes totalling 5,610 shares as the equity started trading without the entitlement to the final net dividend of €0.07 per share. Last Friday, MIA announced that VIE (Malta) Limited – which is ultimately owned by Flughafen Wien AG, the operator of Vienna Airport – will increase its total direct and indirect interest in MIA from 32.94% to 48.44%.