Daily Market Highlights (19.01.11)

  • Local equity market heads lower for the second successive session. MSE Share Index down another 0.3% to 3,845.02 points mainly due to lack of support for HSBC shares. Meanwhile FIMBank trades 2.2% higher whilst BOV and MIA close unchanged. Trading activity on the local equity market slowed down this week with only €91,630 worth of shares traded today. This sharply contrasts with the hefty volumes that took place at the end of last week. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • Downturn in Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index persists as the benchmark 10-year Eurozone yield hits the 3.10% level. The MGS Index eased marginally lower to 987.212 points.
  • Following yesterday’s 1.9% drop, HSBC’s share price slips a further 1.2% this morning to close at the €3.42 level. Volumes reach over 10,700 shares with best bids now placed at €3.25 whilst lowest offers pitched at the €3.43 level. HSBC generally publishes its full-year results by the end of February.
  • Meanwhile BOV closes the day unchanged at the €3.15 level on sixteen trades totalling 16,152 shares. Further offers unsatisfied at the closing price with best bids in the market at the €3.13 level. The Bank is shortly expected to publish its Interim Directors’ Statement to update the investing public on its performance since the last financial year ended 30 September 2010.
  • FIMBank up 2.2% to regain the US$0.94 level on a single trade of 2,000 shares. Few other offers outstanding at the closing price whilst best bids pitched at the US$0.912 level. The trade finance specialist is scheduled to publish its 2010 full-year results on 3 March.
  • MIA holds on to yesterday’s 1.8% rise as a further 1,400 shares trade at its multi-year high of €1.70. Best bids already placed higher at €1.71 with lowest offers at the €1.75 level. Investors now await the December traffic statistics publication together with the full-year passenger numbers. Between January and November 2010, the airport operator registered a 13% rise in passengers compared to the 2010 forecasted growth of 8%.