Daily Market Highlights (27.03.2017)

  • The MSE Share Index kicked-off the week in negative territory as it extended the declines of the previous two trading sessions and slipped by a further 0.09% to a two-month low of 4,703.290 points. Trading activity was subdued today as only four equities were active. Download a copy today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index surged by 0.55% – the sharpest daily uplift in six weeks – to a near three-week high of 1,121.225 points. Euro zone sovereign yields dropped markedly today after US President Donald Trump failed to push through the healthcare bill last Friday, raising concerns about his ability to deliver on his economic agenda. The 10-year and 20-year benchmark German Bund yields fell to 0.384% and 0.843% respectively today from 0.433% and 0.893% last Friday. On the economic front, the result of a survey among German manufacturers, builders, wholesalers and retailers showed that the level of confidence in current and expected economic conditions climbed to its highest level since August 2011. Furthermore, fresh data published by the European Central Bank (ECB) showed that lending to households within the single currency area grew at its fastest pace since December 2010 last month. On the other hand, corporate lending unexpectedly slowed to its lowest rate since June 2016.
  • Thirteen deals totalling 19,922 shares pulled the equity of Bank of Valletta plc 0.5% lower to the €2.18 level.
  • On the other hand, Lombard Bank Malta plc gained 0.4% to a fresh fourteen-month high of €2.46 albeit on a single deal of just 1,000 shares. Today the equity started to trade without the entitlement to the recently declared net dividend of €0.026 per share.
  • Meanwhile, HSBC Bank Malta plc maintained the €2.06 level across 32,933 shares.
  • Malita Investments plc also closed unchanged at its two-year low of €0.755 on volumes totalling 15,000 shares. Today the equity also started to trade without the entitlement to the recently declared final net dividend of €0.01482 per share.