Daily Market Highlights (24.03.15)

  • The MSE Share Index eased marginally lower as the gains in FIMBank, Medserv, Plaza and 6pm were offset by declines in the share prices of BOV, RS2 Software and Malita. The other six active equities ended the session unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index edged 0.1% higher to yet another all-time high of 1,147.615 points largely reflecting the jump in the indicative bid price of the newly listed 3% MGS 2040 (I) quoted by the Central Bank of 106.11%. The new stock, which was issued at par in the last week of February, commenced trading today with the price immediately surging to a close of 116% amid high volumes of €1.28 million nominal across a total of 99 deals.
  • The equity of Medserv plc advanced by 4.2% during this morning’s session to regain its all-time high of €1.72 (first reached on 9 April 2010) across two deals totalling 24,950 shares. Yesterday evening Medserv published its 2014 financial statements showing pre-tax profits of €3 million which exceeded the forecasts of €2.2 million. The Directors recommended the payment of a net final dividend of €0.056 per share (2013: €0.024 per share) to all shareholders as at the close of trading on 26 May.
  • Similarly, Plaza Centres plc’s equity gained a further 1.1% to reach a new all-time high of €0.93 across two deals totalling 50,000 shares. The shopping mall owner and operator recently published record results as occupancy levels approached 100% by the end of the fourth quarter as the Company managed to re-lease the office space vacated by a large client in 2013. The equity will trade with the entitlement to the final net dividend of €0.0268 per share until 23 April.
  • FIMBank plc also performed positively with the equity rebounding by 6.8% to USD0.47 across six deals totalling 20,723 shares.
  • The only other gainer today was 6pm Holdings plc with a 7.7% jump to recapture the GBP0.70 level possibly in reaction to a recent announcement revealing the company’s plans to acquire all the share capital of a UK private company that specializes in the provision of information systems and software for the health care sector. A total of 20,000 shares changed hands today as the market awaits the confirmation when the 2014 full-year results will be published.
  • On the other hand, the share price of Bank of Valletta plc closed in negative territory for the third consecutive session as the equity touched an intra-day low of €2.39 before only partially recovering to end the session at the €2.40 level. This still represents a 1.2% drop from the previous closing price across nineteen trades totalling almost 47,100 shares.
  • The equity of RS2 Software plc also trended lower with a 0.7% retreat back to the €2.94 level across four deals totalling just over 24,000 shares.
  • Similarly, the share price of Malita Investments plc eased 1.5% lower back to the €0.915 level on volumes of 50,000 shares.
  • Meanwhile, HSBC Bank Malta plc closed unchanged at the €2.05 level after it managed to recover from an intra-day low of €2.012 across eleven deals totalling just over 25,000 shares.
  • The share price of Malta International Airport plc held on to its all-time high of €3.50 after rebounding from an intra-day low of €3.451 across six trades totalling 14,650 shares.
  • GO plc’s equity also ended this morning’s session unchanged at the €2.88 level after failing to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.90 on high volumes of 66,032 shares.
  • Likewise, Middlesea Insurance plc maintained the €1.16 level and MIDI plc traded again at €0.28. MaltaPost plc also closed this morning’s session unchanged at the €1.41 level on shallow volumes of 2,031 shares.