Daily Market Highlights (07.03.16)

  • The MSE Share Index kicked-off the week strongly at it climbed by 0.25% to 4,562.604 – the highest level since mid-April 2008 – on robust volumes worth nearly €657,000. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index retreated by 0.02% to 1,143.534 points as the 10-year benchmark German Bund yield advanced from 0.17% last Friday to 0.21% today. On the economic front, a survey tracking sentiment among investors and analysts in the eurozone deteriorated for the third month in a row, hitting the lowest level since January 2015.
  • This morning, Corinthia Finance plc announced that it submitted an application to the Listing Authority requesting the admissibility to listing of €40 million bonds redeemable in 2026. These are earmarked as a roll-over of the €39.9 million 6.25% Unsecured Bonds 2016-2019, which are being redeemed at their first early redemption date possible – i.e. 24 September 2016.
  • RS2 Software plc continued to trend higher into record territory as it gained a further 1.6% to the €3.85 level across 23,530 shares. The equity has been registering new all-time highs for eleven consecutive trading sessions.
  • Just over half of today’s trading activity took place in the equity of FIMBank plc. Most of the trades took place at the USD0.625 level before a final trade took place at USD0.65, representing an increase of 4.8% from last week’s close and the highest since early January 2016. A total of 601,000 shares traded today. FIMBank will reveal its 2015 full-year results on 15 March.
  • GO plc managed to recover from an intra-day low of €3.30 to close at the €3.36 level (+0.6%) across 4,460 shares.
  • Simonds Farsons Cisk plc approached closer to its all-time high of €6.40 as it advanced by 1.6% to the €6.30 level across 1,200 shares.
  • A single deal of just 30 shares pushed the equity of Plaza Centres plc to its all-time high of €1.05 (+5.0%). Plaza will reveal its 2015 full-year results on 16 March.
  • On the other hand, Grand Harbour Marina plc slipped to a one-year low of €0.90 (-9.1%) on shallow volumes totalling 1,700 shares.
  • In the banking sector, Lombard Bank Malta plc and HSBC Bank Malta plc both registered declines. Lombard eased by 0.9% to the €2.18 level – the lowest level since late November 2015 – across 8,439 shares. The Bank will reveal its 2015 financial results next Thursday 10 March.
  • Likewise, HSBC Bank Malta plc retreated to the €1.62 level (-0.6%) across 8,903 shares. Shareholders as at close of trading on 14 March will be eligible for the recently declared final gross dividend of €0.026 per share.
  • Mapfre Middlesea plc also performed negatively as the equity shed 1.6% to the €2.51 level across 1,950 shares. Last week, the insurance specialist announced its 2015 full-year results which showed a 3% increase in pre-tax profits to €17.9 million. The Directors recommended an unchanged final net dividend of €0.03826 per share. Shareholders as at the close of trading on Wednesday 27 April will be eligible to receive this dividend on 22 May 2016 subject to shareholder approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting scheduled to be held on Friday 22 April.
  • Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc, maintained the €2.25 level after briefly touching an intra-day high of €2.262. A total of 32,315 shares changed hands today. The deadline for submission of applications in respect of the recently announced BOV €50 million 3.5% Tranche 2 subordinated bonds 2030 issued at par (100%) is on 18 March (or earlier in the case of over-subscription).
  • Four other equities traded unchanged. Malta International Airport plc (13,500 shares) closed at the €4.50 level for the fifth consecutive session. Shareholders as at close of trading on 30 March will be eligible to receive the final net dividend of €0.07 per share. This will be payable by 19 May following shareholders’ approval at the Annual General Meeting to be held on 4 May.
  • Malta Properties Company plc (24,240 shares) and Medserv plc (6,200 shares) closed flat at €0.58 and €1.645 respectively. Last Friday, Medserv announced that its Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Tuesday 22 March 2015 to consider and approve the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2015.
  • A single deal of just 4,617 shares kept the equity of 6PM Holdings plc unchanged at the GBP0.75 level.