Daily Market Highlights (20.12.2017)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index moved back into positive territory today as it edged 0.1% higher to 4,454.985 points largely due to the uplift in GO and Plaza shares. Farsons also trended higher despite turning ex-dividend whilst MIA eased marginally lower. A further three equities, including BOV, closed unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index slumped 0.46% to a fresh 3-week low of 1,126.156 points marginally rebounded today, reaching 1,131.310 points as eurozone yields continued to trend higher today following encouraging eurozone inflation data and comments by two governors of the European Central Bank (ECB) suggesting the need for greater focus on interest rates. By this afternoon, the benchmark 10-year eurozone yield reached the 0.42% level for the first time since mid-November.
  • New bids lifted the share price of GO plc by 0.85% to regain the €3.58 level across three deals totalling 4,000 shares.
  • Similarly, Plaza Centres plc jumped 6.9% to recapture the €1.09 level albeit on shallow volumes of 1,350 shares.
  • Simonds Farsons Cisk plc also trended in positive territory today despite turning ex-dividend. Its share price moved 0.12% higher to €8.52 on very low volumes of 120 shares. This afternoon, the Directors declared a net interim dividend ‘in kind’ of €1.2403667 per share through the distribution of Simonds Farsons Cisk plc’s entire shareholding in Trident Estates plc. Eligible shareholders will receive one share in Trident Estates plc for every share held in Simonds Farsons Cisk plc. The Company will be informing all shareholders of the procedure to follow. Shares of Trident Estates plc will be listed on 30 January 2018 with trading expected to commence thereafter.
  • On the other hand, Malta International Airport plc eased 0.2% back to the €4.64 level across five deals totalling 12,100 shares.
  • Meanwhile, no changes in the share price of Bank of Valletta plc as it closed unchanged at the €1.85 level after rebounding from an intra-day low of €1.83 across ten deals totalling 31,904 shares.
  • Also in the financial sector, Lombard Bank Malta plc held on to the €2.30 level on volumes of 2,730 shares and a single deal of 19,900 shares of FIMBank plc was executed at the USD0.69 level representing no change from the previous closing price.