Daily Market Highlights (20.08.15)

  • Declines in the share prices of the three major banks offset the positive movements registered in most of the other active equities to drag the MSE Share Index 0.4% lower back to 4,201.941 points. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index edged 0.1% higher to 1,135.858 points as the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield slipped back to just below the 0.6% level as growth fears resurfaced following the publication of the US Federal Reserve minutes. The US central bank seems to be putting off the possibility of an interest rate hike in September in view of the still low inflation and slow growth in other regions including China. This overshadowed the first disbursement of the European Financial Stability Fund to Greece which in turn paid its dues to the European Central Bank (ECB). Nonetheless, uncertainty over the Mediterranean country still reigns as it is likely to hold a snap general election.
  • The share price of Bank of Valletta plc retreated by 0.8% back to the €2.28 level across eighteen trades totalling 48,524 shares.
  • Similarly, new sell orders dragged the equity of HSBC Bank Malta plc 2.5% lower back to the €1.755 level (the same value at the beginning of 2015) on low volumes of 8,359 shares.
  • Also in the banking sector, Lombard Bank Malta plc slipped 0.7% back to the €2.10 level across seven deals totalling 22,227 shares.
  • On the other hand, new bids lifted the share price of RS2 Software plc by a further 1.3% to yet another all-time high of €2.30 across eight deals totalling 20,237 shares. Last Friday afternoon, RS2 Software plc published its interim results covering the six months ended 30 June 2015 revealing a significant improvement in pre-tax profits to €6.56 million compared to €2.96 million in the corresponding six months of 2014. The surge in profitability is largely attributable to the 48.5% growth in revenue to a record €11.5 million on the back of increases in licence fees, service fees and maintenance fees. RS2 reported improved profit margins with the EBITDA margin rising by more than 13 percentage points to 62.7%.
  • In the property segment, the share price of Tigné Mall plc jumped 4.1% higher to recapture its all-time high of €0.89 across 33,000 shares.
  • Plaza Centres plc also touched its all-time high of €0.99 before easing back to the €0.97 level which still represented a 1% increase over the previous closing price on volumes of 28,842 shares.
  • Higher volumes in MIDI plc as the equity trended 1.5% higher to regain the €0.345 level on strong activity of 145,000 shares. The Group is scheduled to publish its 2015 interim results on 31 August.
  • Positive movements also in the share price of MaltaPost plc with the equity rising 0.6% to regain the €1.63 level across four deals totalling 34,110 shares.
  • The only other positive performing equity was Simonds Farsons Cisk plc with a 0.8% increase to recapture the €5.29 level albeit on a small deal of 288 shares.
  • Meanwhile, GO plc’s share price recovered from an intra-day low of €3.55 to end this morning’s session unchanged at the €3.57 level on shallow volumes of 3,950 shares.