Daily Market Highlights (23.04.15)

  • During this morning’s trading session, the MSE Share Index was dragged a further 0.2% lower to a new 2-week low of 3,730.432 points following declines in the share prices of the two largest banks. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index inched minimally higher to 1,171.780 points as yields on local sovereign bonds dropped in line with the trend across Eurozone peripheral countries. On the other hand, the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield strongly rebounded today as it touched 0.161% – its highest level this week.
  • The equity of Bank of Valletta plc trended in negative territory for the third consecutive session with a further 0.9% drop back to the €2.21 level across eight deals totalling almost 9,100 shares. This afternoon, the Bank announced that its Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Thursday 30 April to consider and approve the interim financial statements as at 31 March 2015 and to consider the declaration of an interim dividend.
  • Similarly, HSBC Bank Malta plc slipped 0.5% back to the €2.02 level across eighteen trades totalling 18,740 shares. Yesterday, the Bank held its Annual General Meeting during which shareholders approved all the items on the agenda including the final gross dividend of €0.026 per share and the 1 for 9 bonus issue. The equity will trade with the entitlement to the bonus issue until next Monday 27 April 2015.
  • On the other hand, Malta International Airport plc trended in positive territory with a 0.9% increase to regain the €3.53 level (just below its all-time high of €3.535) on volumes of 31,345 shares.