Daily Market Highlights (19.08.2014)

  • Trading activity during this morning’s session at the Borza was encouraging with a value of €225,680 across 8 active equities. The MSE Share Index retreated by 0.1% to 3,306.447 points, as losses in BOV, HSBC and 2 other equities offset the positive performers. Download a copy of the Equity Market Summary.
  • The Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index retreated marginally to 1,068.314 points reflecting the upward movement in Eurozone yields towards the 1% mark. The news that Russia is contemplating to damp down the ban on food imports that it had issued on 7 August was met positively by the markets.
  • The new 4.1% MGS 2034 (I) was listed today and trading is expected to commence as from tomorrow. Furthermore, the Treasury today affected refunds to those applicants who did not receive full allotment.
  • Bank of Valletta shed 0.5% to €2.11 on weaker volumes totalling 24,000 shares. Similarly, the equity of HSBC Bank Malta closed in negative territory and dropped by 1% to €1.94 on activity of 13,331 shares.
  • The other negative performers were International Hotel Investments and Simonds Farsons Cisk on very minimal volumes. IHI closed at €0.699 and the share price of Farsons eased to the €2.86 level.
  • On the other hand, GO advanced by 0.8% to regain its multi-year high of €2.40 on increased volumes totalling 19,605 shares. The most actively traded equity was Malita Investments where a total of 128,000 shares changed hands. The share price of Malita edged 0.7% higher to €0.545 after recovering from an intra-day low of €0.54.
  • Middlesea Insurance was the top performer of the day with an increase of 5.6% to the €0.95 level on volumes of 7,529 shares.
  • Meanwhile, Medserv closed unchanged at €1.275 as a further 17,500 shares changed hands today. The company is expected to publish its interim financial statements on 28 August.