Daily Market Highlights (08.10.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index opened the week slightly higher as it added 0.02% to a fresh six-month high of 4,422.579 points. The increase reflects the additional gains in the share price of FIMBank which outweighed the drops in GO and RS2. Meanwhile, trading volumes dropped markedly to just €0.09 million. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index trended lower for the third consecutive day as it shed a further 0.14% to a fresh four-year low of 1,081.023 points. Movements in the prices of MGS were mostly influenced by an extended surge in the bond yields of peripheral countries, particularly Italy, after the Italian Deputy Prime Minister labelled European Commission President Mr Jean-Claude Juncker and Economics Commissioner Mr Pierre Moscovici as “enemies of Europe.”
  • FIMBank plc surged by 2.2% to the USD0.685 level across 11,666 shares.
  • In contrast, RS2 Software plc lost a further 1.7% to an over four-month low of €1.13 albeit on just 635 shares.
  • GO plc eased by 0.5% to the €3.82 level on volumes totalling 10,263 shares. Last week, GO announced that subject to shareholders’ approval, it will be seeking to dispose of up to 49% of its shareholding in BMIT Group through an initial public offering. In this respect, GO also added that through this sale, it will be seeking to raise up to €49 million. These proceeds are earmarked to deliver returns to shareholders.
  • Meanwhile, five equities traded unchanged today. Bank of Valletta plc maintained its six-year low of €1.40 on four deals totalling 4,300 shares.
  • HSBC Bank Malta plc (12,059 shares) and Malta International Airport plc (1,610 shares) maintained the €1.81 and €6.20 levels respectively. Last Friday, MIA announced the September traffic results revealing a 12.8% increase in passenger movements to a record of 706,814 passengers. The announcement also noted that during July, August and September, the airport operator registered 2.2 million passenger movements – a record for this period and representing an 11.4% increase over the corresponding period last year. From January to September this year, MIA welcomed over 5.29 million passengers, representing an increase of 14.2% over the previous corresponding period.
  • A single deal of just 210 shares left the equity of Simonds Farsons Cisk plc at the €7.75 level.
  • Low trading activity also took place in the equity of Malita Investments plc which maintained the €0.87 level.