Daily Market Highlights (21.01.16)

  • The MSE Share Index registered its third consecutive positive performance as it advanced by 0.43% to 4,522.270 points. Trading volumes declined from the heightened activity of recent days but was still encouraging at €442,700. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary 21.01.2016.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index slid by 0.47% to 1,135.161 points as the Central Bank of Malta adjusted downwards the bid prices for Malta Government Stocks notwithstanding that the yield of the benchmark 10-year German Bund stayed at the 0.49% level. The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) met this afternoon. As widely anticipated, the ECB left interest rates unchanged at minus 0.3%. ECB President Mario Draghi stated that it will be necessary to review and possibly reconsider the monetary policy stance in March.
  • RS2 Software plc added a further 0.6% to the €3.29 level on activity of 36,700 shares.
  • The share price of Malta Properties Company plc also continued to perform positively and advanced by 1.6% to the €0.589 level after touching an intra-day high of €0.60. The property company’s equity is the best performer so far this year with a gain of 16.6%.
  • The equities of FIMBank plc and Medserv plc also closed the day in positive territory. The trade finance specialist advanced by 2.5% to the USD0.62 level across 89,686 shares while Medserv moved 1.7% higher to the €1.78 level across 11,420 shares. Medserv’s Lapsed Rights Offer period will open tomorrow and close on 27 January (or earlier). Last Friday, the oil and gas logistics company unveiled that it was awarded two full service logistics contracts offshore Libya having an estimated value of between of €2 to €3 million. These are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2016 and will require Medserv to utilise both their Malta Base facilities and their Libyan Branch.
  • Mapfre Middlesea plc jumped 6.8% to a new multi-year high of €2.35 albeit on shallow volumes.
  • Also in the financial services sector, the equities of Lombard Bank Malta plc and Bank of Valletta plc both declined. Lombard shed 0.8% to the €2.40 level across a single deal totalling 6,480 shares. On the other hand, BOV moved 0.4% lower and closed at the €2.24 level across healthy volumes totalling 52,990 shares.
  • The other negative performer was Malita Investments plc with a minimal decline to the €0.95 level (-0.1%) across 37,150 shares.
  • Meanwhile, three large caps traded unchanged. HSBC Bank Malta plc maintained the €1.795 level on a single trade of 5,000 shares and GO plc held on to yesterday’s gains and traded again at €3.15. A total of 12,650 shares traded. Yesterday, GO plc announced that it exercised its option of increasing its stake in the Cypriot telecoms company Cablenet from the current level of 25% to 51%. In a statement to the press, GO’s chairman explained that Cablenet continues to perform strongly, delivering steady, double-digit growth in both revenue and EBITDA over recent years. The Chairman also stated that they “are encouraged by the significant potential which this asset continues to offer us. I believe this is good news for all stakeholders’’.
  • Malta International Airport plc also continued to trade at its all-time high of €4.35 (1,252 shares). On Monday, the airport operator announced record 2015 traffic results (+7.7%) and the passenger forecast for 2016 (+2.4%).