Daily Market Highlights (25.08.15)

  • The MSE Share Index today eased minimally lower as the increases in the share prices of Tigne Mall and Plaza were offset by the declines in various equities including HSBC and BOV. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index registered its third consecutive decline with a further 0.2% drop back to 1,128.009 points as the 10-year yields of Spain and Italy, the region’s two major peripheral countries, continued to trend higher amid global growth concerns.
  • The equity of Bank of Valletta plc slipped lower for the fourth consecutive session with a further marginal decline back to €2.25 across nineteen deals totalling 47,732 shares.
  • Similarly, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc retreated by 0.2% back to the €1.75 level on very low volumes of 2,470 shares. The Bank is scheduled to pay the recently declared gross interim dividend of €0.051 per share (net: €0.0332) on 10 September.
  • GO plc also performed negatively with a drop of 0.3% to the €3.549 level on shallow volumes of 4,150 shares.
  • The equities in the IT sector also closed lower with RS2 Software plc easing to €2.295 on just 3,300 shares and 6pm Holdings plc shedding 3.4% to the GBP0.71 level.
  • On the other hand, a single trade of 2,175 shares of Tigné Mall plc was transacted at a new all-time high of €0.93 representing a 5.7% increase over the previous closing price.
  • The share price of Plaza Centres plc also touched a new all-time high of €1.05 during this morning’s session before easing back to the €1.01 level which still represents a 1% increase over the previous closing price. However, only 6,500 shares changed hands today in Plaza.
  • Meanwhile, Malta International Airport plc maintained the €3.90 level across 29,671 shares. Yesterday, MIA’s largest shareholder, Vienna International Airport, revealed its intention to acquire a further 15.5% stake in the airport operator via the Malta Mediterranean Link Consortium which holds 40% of MIA shares. In the press release issued yesterday evening, Vienna Airport stated that it offered SNC Lavalin €63 million for its stake in the consortium which is equivalent to €3.00 per share.
  • Lombard Bank Malta plc also closed the day unchanged at the €2.10 level on a single deal of 2,730 shares. This afternoon the Bank released its 2015 interim results revealing a 31.9% increase in pre-tax profits to €4.3 million largely due to the improvements at the Group’s postal subsidiary, MaltaPost plc. Meanwhile, the Bank experienced a 5.9% decline in after-tax profits in view of the challenges prevailing across the European banking industry.
  • Malita Investments plc also ended this morning’s session unchanged as it maintained the €0.936 level across 7,130 shares.
  • Likewise, Medserv plc held on to the €2.37 level on volumes of 10,764 shares. The company is scheduled to publish its interim results on 27 August.