Daily Market Highlights (24.10.14)

  • In contrast to the marginal declines in the previous two sessions, the MSE Share Index today advanced by 0.5% to reach a fresh 11-week high of 3,370.919 points as four of the five active equities today trended higher. Download a copy of the Equity Market Summary. Over the week, the local equity benchmark edged 0.9% largely due to the 3.6% weekly increase in HSBC’s equity.
  • On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index slid 0.14% lower to 1,091.221 points as Eurozone benchmark yields reached the 0.88% level earlier on today before easing back to the 0.86% level.
  • The only exception was BOV, which closed unchanged at the €2.249 level, across volumes of 28,307 shares.
  • The shares of HSBC traded down to a low of €1.985 before new bids lifted the Bank’s share price to €2.035 representing a gain of 1.75% over the previous closing price. A total of 9,296 shares which exchanged hands in 5 deals. Next Sunday the European Central Bank will be publishing the results of the Asset Quality Review and simultaneously the European Banking Authority will be issuing its stress tests results across many banks in the EU including BOV and HSBC Malta.
  • Similarly, the share price of Lombard Bank closed higher at the €1.73 level, gaining 0.6% across three deals totalling 48,700 shares.
  • Meanwhile, its postal subsidiary, MaltaPost, also performed positively and gained 2.6% to the €1.149 level as 13,000 shares traded.
  • MIA edged 0.4% higher to regain its record close of €2.36 on high volumes amounting to 65,040 shares. Local media reports confirmed that the Greek airline Aegean will begin flying to Malta next summer from Athens three times a week.