Daily Market Highlights (05.03.14)

  • The MSE Share Index edged higher following five consecutive sessions of losses. The Index gained 0.2% to 3,608.575 points as HSBC’s 1.2% increase outwieghed BOV’s 0.4% dip. Download a copy of the Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index was once again relatively unchanged at 1,027.320 points despite a further increase in the benchmark 10-year Eurozone yields to above the 1.60% level. Yields trended higher today as US and Russia hold talks to ease tensions over Ukraine as well as rising expectations of no further action from the European Central Bank (ECB) during tomorrow’s monthly monetary policy meeting.
  • The share price of HSBC rebounded into positive territory for the first time in the last six sessions with a 1.2% increase to regain the €2.45 level across 19,493 shares. The equity is still trading with the entitlement to the final gross dividend of €0.052 per share and will turn ex-dividend as from Thursday 13 March. Moreover, shareholders as at the close of trading on 24 April will also be entitled to a 1 for 9 bonus share issue.
  • On the other hand, the equity of BOV closed lower for the fourth consecutive session with a decline of a further 0.4% back to the €2.34 level across thirteen deals totalling 16,444 shares.
  • Meanwhile, the only other active equity was 6pm Holdings with 11,500 shares changing hands at the GBP0.72 level, unchanged from the previous close. This morning, 6pm issued a press release revealing a new contract with another NHS trust in the UK for its iFIT platform (a solution that helps clients tag and track any paper record or physical asset which moves around). Furthermore, 6pm also confirmed that is in the final stages of negotiations with another two trusts for the same platform. The Trusts will initially be using the platform to track medical records but are already planning a rollout to track assets, pathology samples and vulnerable patients.