Daily Market Highlights (06.01.15)

  • Trading activity across the equity market during this morning’s session surged with more than €0.5 million worth of shares changing hands during the day representing the highest level of activity in a single session since mid-December. Nonetheless, the MSE Share Index ended this morning’s session practically unchanged at 3,380.817 points. Download a copy of the Equity Market Summary.
  • Further bids emerged during today’s session lifting the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc a further 0.5% to regain the €2.03 level across five deals totalling 48,677 shares. Amongst the large cap equities, GO plc recovered from an intra-day low of €2.56 to also end the session 0.4% higher at the €2.59 level across two deals totalling 1,820 shares.
  • Malita Investments plc also edged 0.3% higher to reach a fresh all-time high of €0.642 across three deals totalling 64,000 shares.
  • The only other equity to perform positively was Middlesea Insurance plc with a 0.6% increase to recapture the €1.00 level for the first time since 29 October 2014 albeit on low volumes of 7,782 shares.
  • On the other hand, the share price of Malta International Airport plc dropped 1.9% back to the €2.355 level across seven trades totalling 15,731 shares. Similarly, the equity of International Hotel Investments plc retreated by 0.2% to the €0.578 level across 8,000 shares.
  • Grand Harbour Marina plc shares slipped 2.4% back to the €1.82 level on low volumes of 7,300 shares.
  • Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc failed to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.30 as it ended this morning’s session unchanged at the €2.29 level across 17 deals totalling 75,165 shares. The shares of BOV will continue to trade with the entitlement to the 1 for 11 bonus share issue until Tuesday 13 January.
  • Likewise, FIMBank plc held on to the USD0.60 level across 12,300 shares and Tigné Mall plc maintained its all-time high of €0.60 on volumes of 48,000 shares.
  • In the IT sector, a further 39,812 shares of Crimsonwing plc traded at the €0.86 level. Shareholders of Crimsonwing have been offered €0.8327 per share by KPMG Investments Malta Limited as it aims to acquire the entire company. The voluntary bid by KPMG closes on 20 January.
  • The only other active equity was MaltaPost plc which failed to hold on to an intra-day high of €1.211 to end the session unchanged at the €1.20 level across five deals totalling just over 53,000 shares. The postal operator is scheduled to hold its Annual General Meeting on 16 January.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index moved marginally higher to yet another all-time high of 1,105.599 points as Eurozone yields tumbled to fresh lows of 0.444% in view of the renewed political uncertainty in Greece and speculation on whether the European Central Bank (ECB) will launch a quantitative easing programme at its upcoming meeting on 22 January.