Daily Market Highlights (20.09.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index trended higher for the third consecutive day as it advanced by a further 0.37% to a fresh six-week high of 4,362.346 points. The gains reflect the increases in the share prices of Farsons, RS2, FIMBank and MaltaPost whilst only MIDI moved lower. Overall trading activity remained healthy as €0.34 million worth of shares changed hands today. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index extended yesterday’s decline by a further 0.08% to a fresh four-year low of 1,085.153 points as eurozone sovereign yields remained largely supported at their recent highs whilst economic uncertainty in Italy increased after Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio was reported as saying that the country needs to increase its fiscal deficit in order to kick-start more meaningful economic growth and create jobs.
  • Simonds Farsons Cisk plc surged by 3.5% to regain the €7.35 level albeit on just 1,119 shares. Yesterday, Farsons published its interim results as at 31 July 2018. The company reported growth across all of its business segments, helping net profits to rise by almost 7% to €6.11 million compared to €5.72 million in the first half of the previous financial year. The Directors declared an unchanged net interim dividend of €0.0333 per share which is payable on 10 October to shareholders as at close of trading on 24 September.
  • RS2 Software plc added 1.7% to regain the €1.20 level across 49,673 shares. Yesterday, the company announced the formation of the Board of Directors of its subsidiary in North America (namely RS2 Software Inc) in which it holds an equity stake of 64.2%. The Board of Directors will be composed of eight members, four of whom are new appointments with vast experience in the fields of digital payments, fintech and related regulatory framework.
  • FIMBank plc climbed by 1.7% to an over five-high of USD0.605 on activity totalling 50,000 shares.
  • MaltaPost plc moved 2.4% higher to the €1.69 level on light volumes totalling 5,744 shares.
  • Low trading activity also took place in the equity of MIDI plc which eased by 0.9% to the €0.565 level across 1,800 shares.
  • Meanwhile, the equities of three large cap companies ended unchanged today. Malta International Airport plc retained its all-time high of €5.95 on solid volumes totalling 17,382 shares.
  • GO plc held on to its 2018 high of €3.60 on activity totalling 15,000 shares whilst Bank of Valletta plc maintained the €1.48 level across 48,850 shares.