Daily Market Highlights (18.12.14)

  • The MSE Share Index advanced by 0.4% today to 3,244.161 points, as four out of the five active equities traded in positive territory, while the other remaining equity closed unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index advanced for the fourth consecutive day this week, gaining 0.1% to reach another new record of 1,102.476 points. Eurozone benchmark yields failed to surpass the 0.6% level, after the US Federal Reserve announced that it is not planning to raise interest rates before April 2015.
  • The share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc increased by 1.4% to close at the €1.875, after recovering from an intra-day low of €1.85 across eight deals totalling 23,500 shares.
  • Similarly, Bank of Valletta plc closed 0.5% higher to the €2.18 level on activity of 34,473 shares. Yesterday evening, BOV held its Annual General Meeting and shareholders approved a number of resolutions including a final net dividend of €0.0601 per share (paid today) and a bonus share issue of one share for every eleven held to those shareholders as at close of trading of 14 January 2015.
  • GO plc and Simonds Farsons Cisk plc both closed the day 0.4% higher. GO regained the €2.499 level, thereby recovering most of the losses during the early part of the week. A total of 22,119 shares were transacted across five trades. Farsons closed at a fresh all-time high of €3.051 across shallow volumes of 5,460 shares.
  • High trading activity took place in Malta International Airport plc with 66,800 shares changing hands at the €2.30 level.