Daily Market Highlights (20.04.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index eased by 0.04% to 4,347.203 points today as the declines in three equities outweighed the gains in RS2. Moreover, another five shares closed the day unchanged. The local equity index moved lower for the fourth consecutive week as it lost a further 0.6% in addition to the near 4% decline suffered in the previous three weeks. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index extended yesterday’s drop of 0.12% by a further 0.19% to 1,114.366 points. Euro zone yields inched higher as uncertainties over the imposition of trade barriers between the US and China, as well as geopolitical tensions between the US and Russia, continued to subside. During the past five days, the RF MGS Index rose by 0.02% as the gains registered between Monday and Wednesday slightly outweighed the drops during the last two days of the week.
  • Bank of Valletta plc retained the €1.77 level across 58,366 shares. On Wednesday, BOV announced that it was informed that Amalgamated Investments SICAV plc entered into a preliminary agreement with UniCredit S.p.A. to acquire the latter’s shareholding in BOV. The preliminary agreement between Amalgamated Investments SICAV plc and UniCredit is also subject to regulatory approval.
  • Also in the banking sector, FIMBank, HSBC and Lombard all traded unchanged today. FIMBank plc held on to the USD 0.55 level on two deals totalling 27,764 shares.
  • Similarly, HSBC Bank Malta plc and Lombard Bank Malta plc maintained the €1.70 and €2.36 levels albeit on shallow volumes.
  • Low trading activity also took place in the equity of Malta Properties Company plc which maintained the €0.458 level.
  • Trident Estates plc eased by 0.5% to the €1.84 level on trivial volumes.
  • MaltaPost plc (2,220 shares) and PG plc (5,000 shares) shed 2.7% and 0.8% to their 2018 lows of €1.80 and €1.30 respectively.
  • Meanwhile, RS2 Software plc climbed 0.7% to regain the €1.40 level across 7,000 shares. The company is due to publish its 2017 annual financial results on 25 April 2018.
  • This morning, International Hotel Investments plc announced that the 2017 annual financial statements will be published on Friday 27 April 2018. The equity remained inactive today.