Daily Market Highlights (05.12.14)

  • The MSE Share Index trended lower for the second consecutive session with a further 0.5% drop to a fresh 22-month low of 3,244.919 points. Download a copy of the Equity Market Summary. Over the week, the local equity benchmark eased 0.9% due to the declines across most of the large cap equities.
  • On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index inched marginally higher to yet another all-time high of 1,096.958 points despite a further uplift in benchmark Eurozone yields to around the 0.77% level after the European Central Bank (ECB) yesterday failed to meet expectations of a full-blown quantitative easing programme.
  • Today’s decline in the local equity benchmark was partly due to the 0.9% retreat in the share price of BOV back to the €2.20 level across fifteen deals totalling 43,129 shares.
  • Amongst the large cap equities, the share price of IHI also slipped by 2.8% to a fresh all-time low of €0.52 on a deal of only 1,101 shares.
  • Selling pressure was also evident in GO as the equity of the telecoms quad-play operator touched an intra-day low of €2.50 for the second consecutive session before partially recovering to close at the €2.515 level. This still represents a 0.2% drop from yesterday’s closing price across three deals totalling 6,448 shares.
  • The only other negative performing equity was Crimsonwing with a 7.2% plunge back to the €0.77 level across a single trade of 1,100 shares. Next week marks the opening of the voluntary bid of KPMG Investments Malta Limited with the aim of acquiring the entire issued share capital of Crimsonwing plc shares at a price of €0.8327 per share. Shareholders as at close of trading on 28 November 2014 ought to have received an Acceptance Form and a copy of the Offer Document. Acceptances are to be lodged at Rizzo Farrugia & Co (Stockbrokers) Ltd who has been mandated by the Offeror to act as the Manager, Registrar, Collecting and Paying Agent. The acceptance period is between 9 December 2014 and 20 January 2015 (both days included), or as may be extended by the Offeror as provided in the offer document.
  • On the other hand, the share price of HSBC edged 0.5% higher to regain the €1.915 level across three deals totalling 5,415 shares.
  • Likewise, the equity of Lombard Bank moved 1.2% higher to regain the €1.75 level (just €0.06 below its 2014 high of €1.81) on a single trade of 4,000 shares.
  • Meanwhile, a further 12,450 shares of MIDI changed hands at the equity’s all-time low of €0.21 across one deal.
  • MIA held on to the €2.33 level on low volumes of 4,840 shares. This morning, the airport operator announced that during November it registered a record level of passenger movements which grew by 2.9% over the same period last year. Between January and November 2014, passenger traffic at MIA surged by 6.5%.