Daily Market Highlights (06.04.16)

  • The MSE Share Index extended the gains of the past two trading sessions by a further 0.66% to 4,613.384 points – the highest level since mid-April 2008. Activity was spread across ten equities – six registered gains, one closed unchanged whilst only three shares suffered declines. Trading activity across the equity market improved notably to €345,000 worth of shares changing hands, largely on heightened activity in the equity of BOV. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index reversed most of the gains of the last two days as it slipped by 0.19% to 1,155.749 points. Euro zone yields rebounded slightly as the downward pressure on the price of oil took a pause on renewed speculation that some sort of an agreement between oil producing countries for an output freeze can be reached in the coming two weeks. Indeed, the 10-year benchmark German Bund yield advanced from a near one-year low of 0.08% to 0.11%. On the economic front, the most recent data showed that Germany’s industrial sector production declined by 0.5% in February from the previous month, significantly better than the 1.8% contraction expected by economists.
  • Bank of Valletta plc was the highest traded equity for the second consecutive day. The Bank’s share price retreated from its four-week high of €2.285 to the €2.271 level (-0.6%) across volumes totalling 60,611 shares having a market value of nearly €138,000.
  • Also among the large companies, Malta International Airport plc slipped by a mere 0.1% to the €4.38 level across 7,504 shares. Last Friday, MIA announced that VIE (Malta) Limited – which is ultimately owned by Flughafen Wien AG, the operator of Vienna Airport – increased its total direct and indirect interest in MIA from 32.94% to 48.44%.
  • The other negative performer today was MIDI plc as the equity declined by 0.5% to the €0.388 level across 12,000 shares. Shareholders as at close of trading tomorrow will be entitled to receive a final net dividend of €0.007 per share.
  • In contrast, Malta Properties Company plc regained the €0.58 level (+3.2%) across 32,523 shares.
  • HSBC Bank Malta plc closed 3.1% higher at a nine-week high of €1.72 after touching an intra-day high of €1.74. A total of 11,160 shares changed hands today.
  • RS2 Software plc had a relatively volatile session today after it managed to recover from an intra-day low of €3.751 to end at the €3.85 level – representing an uplift of 2.6% – across 21,430 shares.
  • Medserv plc continued to trend higher as it added another 1.1% to a fresh 10-week high of €1.82 across 6,250 shares.
  • Similarly, GO plc touched an intra-day, near six-month high of €3.481 before settling 0.8% above yesterday’s close at the €3.48 level. A total of 8,457 shares changed hands today. Shareholder as at close of trading tomorrow will be entitled to receive the recently declared final net dividend of €0.10 per share.
  • A single deal of just 1,000 shares pushed the equity of 6pm Holdings plc 0.6% higher to a new all-time high of GBP0.88.
  • Meanwhile, two deals totalling 12,600 shares left the equity of International Hotel Investments plc unchanged at the €0.65 level.