Daily Market Highlights (19.10.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index eased by 0.11% to 4,534.480 points today, mostly driven by the drop in the share price of BOV which, coupled with the declines in three other shares, outweighed the gains in GO, MIDI and Plaza. Meanwhile, another four shares closed the day unchanged whilst overall trading volumes contracted sharply to just €0.17 million compared to the very high levels recorded in recent days. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index extended yesterday’s decline by a further 0.22% to 1,079.022 points. The drop in the prices of MGS reflected a sharp surge in Italian government bond yields after the European Commission determined that the newly drafted budget breaches EU fiscal rules.
  • Bank of Valletta plc eased by 0.7% to the €1.36 level across 20,000 shares. The European Banking Authority is scheduled to publish the results of its various stress tests on major European banks including BOV by 2 November 2018.
  • BOV’s insurance associate – Mapfre Middlesea plc – also ended lower today with a drop of 0.5% to the €1.93 level albeit on just 1,000 shares.
  • Low trading activity also took place in the equity of Malita Investments plc which shed 2.8% to the €0.875 level.
  • A single deal of 10,000 shares forced the equity of RS2 Software plc to move 1.7% lower back to the €1.14 level.
  • Also among the large caps, GO plc rebounded by 1% to the €4.04 level across 5,000 shares. The company will be convening an extraordinary general meeting (“EGM”) on Monday 3 December 2018 in relation to the proposed sale of up to 49% of its shareholding in BMIT Technologies plc (“BMIT”) through an Initial Public Offering. In this respect, shareholders of GO as at close of trading on 31 October 2018 will be receiving notice of the EGM as well as a circular containing further details on the proposed partial sale of BMIT.
  • In the property segment, MIDI plc regained the €0.725 level (+0.7%) after partially retreating from a new record high of €0.735. A total of 105,000 shares traded.
  • Plaza Centres plc added 2% to the €1.03 level albeit on just 3,000 shares.
  • On the other hand, Tigne’ Mall plc held on to its 2018 low of €0.93 on 4,000 shares.
  • Medserv plc closed the day unchanged at the €1.07 level after rebounding from its over three-year low of €1.00 (-6.5%) on activity totalling 18,600 shares.
  • Malta International Airport plc and FIMBank plc traded unchanged at €6.20 and USD0.80 respectively on light volumes.