Daily Market Highlights (21.06.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index remained unchanged at 4,375.184 points today as the gains in six equities were offset by the declines in six other shares whilst a further three equites closed the day unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index trended lower for the first time in three days slipping by 0.14% to 1,103.144 points as most euro zone sovereign bonds yields moved higher today, supported by encouraging comments made by the governors of the French and German central banks. The former was quoted as saying that the ECB is now “more confident” that inflation within the single currency area is “heading in the right direction”, despite added risks related to global trade tensions and protectionism. Similarly, the President of the Bundesbank explained that last week’s decision by the ECB to bring its QE programme to an end this year is “just the first step of a multi-year path of gradual monetary policy normalisation”, and for this reason it was “so important” for the central bank “to actually get the ball rolling”. Meanwhile, the Bank of England today decided to leave interest rates unchanged, but the growing number of dissenting voting members within the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee prompted markets to interpret that an interest rate hike might have now become imminent.
  • Malita Investments plc rose 1.2% to a twenty-month high of €0.87 on four deals totalling 24,000 shares.
  • Likewise, MIDI plc added 1.4% to the €0.426 level albeit on just 6,500 shares whilst Tigne’ Mall plc surged by 2.2% to regain the €0.95 level across 22,200 shares. Yesterday, MIDI published an updated Financial Analysis Summary showing that the company is anticipating revenue of €67.8 million during 2018, EBITDA of €25 million and a profit after tax of €23.5 million. These results are expected to help the net asset value per share to rise to €0.47.
  • PG plc also performed positively today as the equity added a further 0.8% to a one-month high of €1.32 across 17,650 shares.
  • Simonds Farsons Cisk plc recaptured the €6.75 level (+0.7%) on four deals totalling 4,912 shares. The company’s AGM is scheduled to take place today.
  • HSBC Bank Malta plc climbed 0.5% back to the €1.83 level across 10,535 shares.
  • In contrast, Bank of Valletta plc moved 0.3% lower to the €1.745 level albeit on shallow volumes.
  • Low trading activity also took place in a number of equities, all of which posted significant declines. These included Santumas Shareholdings plc (-12% to €1.32), GlobalCapital plc (-9.4% to €0.29) and Grand Harbour Marina plc (-5.1% to €0.75).
  • RS2 Software plc dropped back to the €1.25 level (-0.8%) across 8,950 shares whilst three deals totalling 3,216 shares forced the equity of Malta International Airport plc to ease by 0.4% back to the €4.98 level.
  • Meanwhile, Lombard Bank Malta plc retained the €2.28 level on a single deal of 33,319 shares and MaltaPost plc maintained its 2018 low of €1.70 on just 2,400 shares.
  • Plaza Centres plc also traded flat at the €1.04 level across 13,500 shares.