Daily Market Highlights (19.02.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index trended lower for the first time in five trading sessions as it slumped by 0.55% to 4,457.164 points, largely driven by the drops in the share prices of IHI (-2.4%) and Farsons (-3.4%) which outweighed the gains in MPC (+0.8%) and MaltaPost (+2.1%). Meanwhile, four other equities closed the day unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index added to last Friday’s gains of 0.15% as it advanced by a further 0.18% to 1,109.817 points today amid a quiet for international bond markets.
  • Tomorrow, HSBC Bank Malta plc will kick-start the 2017 earnings reporting season. The directors of the bank will also be considering the declaration of a final dividend. The equity closed unchanged at the €1.82 level today on volumes totalling 7,527 shares.
  • Within the same segment, Bank of Valletta plc maintained the €1.81 level across 14,212 shares. BOV’s insurance associate – Mapfre Middlesea plc – also ended unchanged at the €1.85 level albeit on trivial volumes.
  • RS2 Software plc held on to the €1.31 level after recovering from its 16-month low of €1.30 (-0.8%). A total of 24,000 changed hands.
  • Trident Estates plc was the most actively traded equity today as it shed 3.5% to the €1.91 level on volumes totalling 62,688 shares (representing 39% of the total value of equities traded).
  • Amongst the large companies by market capitalisation, IHI, GO and MIA all posted declines today. International Hotel Investments plc lost 2.4% to the €0.605 level albeit on trivial volumes.
  • GO plc (5,600 shares) and Malta International Airport plc (18,000 shares) retreated by 0.6% and 0.4% to €3.54 and €4.94 respectively. The airport operator is scheduled to reveal its 2017 financial results next Wednesday.
  • PG plc and Simonds Farsons Cisk plc also performed negatively today albeit on insignificant volumes. PG moved back to the €1.36 level (-2.2%) whilst Farsons dropped by 3.4% to a ten-month low of €7.20.
  • In contrast, MaltaPost plc surged by 2.1% to regain the €1.95 level on a single deal of just 3,029 shares.
  • Also on light volumes, Malta Properties Company plc climbed 0.8% to the €0.486 level across 5,344 shares.