Daily Market Highlights (20.01.11)

  • Further declines in local equity market as the MSE Share Index edges another 0.4% lower to 3,830.465 points due to the declines in HSBC, BOV and Middlesea Insurance. Meanwhile GO and MIA unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • Downturn in Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index now in its eight consecutive session as the benchmark 10-year Eurozone yield reached the 3.11% level. The MGS Index eased marginally lower to 986.591 points (-0.6% year-to-date).
  • Third drop this week for HSBC as buyers retreat. Share price declines by 0.6% today to €3.401 across sixteen trades amounting to 22,950 shares. Best bids placed at €3.38 whilst lowest offers still pitched at the €3.43 level. HSBC generally publishes its full-year results by the end of February.
  • BOV share price back into negative territory. Equity eases 0.3% lower to close at €3.14 on volumes of just under 18,900 shares. 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.
  • MIA closes the day unchanged at €1.70 after trading up to a new multi-year high of €1.72. Yesterday evening the airport operator published its 2010 traffic statistics revealing a 12.8% rise in passengers to a record of 3.29 million mainly due to the 10.6% increase in seat capacity. The achieved passenger growth is substantially higher than the forecasted +8%. Outstanding bids placed higher at €1.71 with lowest offers at the €1.75 level.
  • GO’s equity opened 2.1% lower at the €1.90 level but fresh demand late during this morning’s session lifted the share price back to the €1.94 level. A total of 37,850 shares changed hands this morning with further offers outstanding at the last traded price whilst best bids now in the market at the €1.89 level.
  • Middlesea Insurance share price plunges 4.6% to close just above the €1.00 level on just two trades amounting to 2,600 shares. Further bids unsatisfied at the closing price whilst lowest offers still in the market at the €1.059 level.