Daily Market Highlights (27.01.17)

  • The MSE Share Index slipped by a minimal 0.02% from its near nine-year high of 4,721.355 points yesterday to 4,720.618 points today. Trading volumes eased to €0.30 million – the lowest in the past five trading sessions. Furthermore, most of today’s trading activity took place in just two equities – BOV and MaltaPost – which between them accounted for 74% of the total value of equities traded. Week-on-week, the local equity index climbed by 0.88% – the eighth weekly positive performance in the last nine weeks. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index posted its third consecutive daily decline as it moved lower by a further 0.03% to a new fourteen-month low of 1,124.226 points. Euro zone sovereign yields eased slightly today but stayed close to their recent highs. On the economic front, fresh data coming out from Germany showed that, month-on-month, import prices went up by 1.9% in December 2016 from +0.7% in the previous month, and by a much higher-than-expected +3.5% year-on-year. Week-on-week, the RF MGS Index lost nearly 1.0% and is now 2.57% lower year-to-date and nearly 5% less than its peak of 1,182.272 points recorded on 24 October 2016.
  • Three deals totalling 36,425 shares pushed the equity of International Hotel Investments plc 1.5% higher to a fresh three-month high of €0.66. IHI was the only positive performer today.
  • Bank of Valletta plc erased yesterday’s gains as it retracted back to the €2.17 level (-0.6%) across 47,070 shares.
  • BOV’s insurance associate, Mapfre Middlesea plc, dropped by 0.3% to the €2.224 level on trivial volumes.
  • MIDI plc also dropped by 0.3% to €0.329 on a single trade of a mere 2,000 shares.
  • Meanwhile, six equities traded unchanged. GO plc maintained its eight-month high of €3.40 after recovering from an intra-day low of €3.35 (-1.5%). A total of 6,000 shares changed hands.
  • Also among the large companies, HSBC Bank Malta plc and Malta International Airport plc closed flat at €2.00 and €4.07 respectively on insignificant volumes. The two companies are expected to reveal their 2016 financial results during the last week of February.
  • Similarly, Medserv plc retained the €1.60 level across 2,300 shares.
  • A single deal of 37,800 shares left the equity of Malta Properties Company plc at its four-month low of €0.53.
  • MaltaPost plc stayed close to its all-time high of €2.08 as it held on to the €2.05 level on encouraging volumes totalling 59,750 shares.