Daily Market Highlights (09.02.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index slid 0.18% from yesterday’s one week high to 4,462.97 points on the back of declines across various property-related equities as well as declines in GO, Farsons and FIMBank. On the other hand, MIA and PG trended higher whilst a further five equities, including BOV and HSBC, ended the day unchanged. Over the week, the local equity benchmark ended marginally lower as the gains in BOV and HSBC as well as Trident (+20.9%) were offset by various declines in other equities including FIMBank, Malta Properties and RS2 Software. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index moved lower for the first time in four days as it fell by 0.24% to 1,111.249 points. Euro zone sovereign yields continued to trend higher today following yesterday’s comments by the Bank of England which indicated that the central bank may raise interest rates sooner and by a bit more than previously estimated. Moreover, US legislators reached a two-year budgetary compromise that is expected to significantly widen the federal deficit and also set in motion President Trump’s electoral plea for embarking on major infrastructural projects across the country. In this respect, various analysts commented that the recent tax reform in the US coupled with the latest budgetary compromise are likely to encourage the Federal Reserve to keep or even increase the pace of its monetary policy tightening.
  • The four active property-related equities all trended in engative territory today including Malta Properties Company plc with a 5.2% drop back to the €0.474 level across 112,875 shares. Similarly, Malita Investments plc shed a further 1.2% back to the €0.82 level on two deals totalling 60,550 shares.
  • MIDI plc also lost 3.9% back to the €0.346 level on a single trade of 25,000 shares. Likewise, Trident Estates plc eased by 2.6% to €1.85 level on low volumes of 10,860 shares.
  • GO plc dropped 1.7% to €3.50 albeit on a single trade of just 1,000 shares.
  • Similarly, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc shed 0.7% back to the €7.45 level on volumes of 1,650 shares.
  • The only other negative performing equity today was FIMBank plc as it eased 1.6% lower back to the USD0.62 level on volumes of 16,827 shares.
  • On the other hand, Malta International Airport plc jumped 2.1% to recapture the €4.90 level on volumes of just over 12,000 shares. On Tuesday, MIA published the January 2018 traffic results showing a 16.7% growth in passengers movements to a January record of 351,550 passengers.
  • PG plc also trended in positive territory with a 0.7% increase to regain the €1.40 level across six deals totalling 25,000 shares.
  • Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc maintained the €1.82 level on volumes of just under 60,000 shares.
  • Likewise, HSBC Bank Malta plc held on to the €1.82 level albeit on shallow volumes of 3,500 shares.
  • Also in the banking sector, Lombard Bank Malta plc maintained the €2.30 level across four deals totalling 15,416 shares.
  • RS2 Software plc and Medserv plc also closed the day unchanged at €1.33 (39,679 shares) and €1.16 (4,400 shares) respectively.