Daily Market Highlights (18.02.11)

  • Negative day for equities. Local equity market closes lower for the third time this week. MSE Share Index down 0.9% today to 3,804.528 points – the lowest level since 11 January. Four out of the seven active equities closed lower this morning whilst GO edged marginally higher on a last-minute trade. The subdued performance registered in the five largest equities by market cap during the last five sessions pushed the Share Index 1.4% lower this week. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the other the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index advanced by a further 0.2% today as the benchmark Eurozone yield this morning eased to below the 3.20% level. The Bond Index today closed at 982.528 points representing a 0.3% rise over the week. Subscriptions and tenders for the two new Malta Government Stock issues now closed with the Treasury shortly expected to publish the respective issue statistics.
  • Prior to the results announcement, HSBC’s share price shed 1.4% to the €3.45 level on low volumes of 2,900 shares. The Bank’s 2010 results show a 16.7% increase in pre-tax profits to €83.1 million on the back of revenue growth especially in net interest income which grew by 17% to €122.8 million. This outweighed the 4.6% rise in operating costs to €87.6 million. The Directors recommended a final gross dividend of €0.077 to be paid to all shareholders as at close of trading on 3 March. Further details available here.
  • Selling pressure also evident in BOV shares today with the equity slipping 1.6% lower to the €3.00 level on volumes of 45,655 shares. Bids already placed minimally higher at €3.002 whilst lowest offers now in the market at the €3.05 level. The Bank’s equity ended the week 1.6% lower.
  • MIA also in negative territory as the share price of the airport operator shed a further 2.8% this morning to drop back to the €1.75 level. Over 13,600 shares exchanged today with best bids now at €1.65 whilst lowest offers pitched at the €1.799 level. Equity ranks as the worst performer of the week with a 5.4% plunge.
  • The other negative performing equity today was Plaza Centres as its share price retreated by 1.2% to the €1.65 level on two deals amounting to 5,000 shares. Best bids now placed at €1.52 with lowest offers still placed at the €1.80 level ahead of the Company’s 2010 full-year results publication on 3 March.
  • Meanwhile GO’s share price closes 0.5% higher at the €1.859 level after high volumes exchanged at the €1.80 level. A total of 54,200 shares change hands today. Despite today’s marginal upturn, GO’s equity still ended the week 2.1% lower.
  • MaltaPost maintains its all-time high of €1.10 after recovering from a low of €1.08. Two trades amounting to 4,500 shares with further offers unsatisfied at the closing price. The share price of the postal operator closed in positive territory for the fourth week in a row with a further 2.8% rise which now places the equity as the top performer since the start of 2011 with a year-to-date increase of 10%.
  • MIDI also unchanged at the €0.45 level on a single trade of 11,000 shares.