Daily Market Highlights (27.12.2017)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index moved higher for the first time in the last three trading sessions as it rebounded by 0.63% from its one-week low of 4,449.484 points to 4,477.464 points. Overall, the gains in the share prices of Lombard, MIA, HSBC and Medserv outweighed the declines in BOV and GO. Meanwhile, PG plc retained the €1.425 level on a single deal of 10,000 shares whilst Loqus Holdings plc also closed the day unchanged at the €0.175 level albeit on trivial volumes. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • Following the declines in the previous three days, the RF MGS Index bounced back by 0.14% to 1,123.732 points. The benchmark 10-year German Bund yield stayed above the 0.4% level in a very quiet season for international bond markets.
  • The most actively traded equity today was Bank of Valletta plc which lost 2.7% to the €1.80 level after only partially recovering from an intra-day low of €1.75 (-5.4%). A total of 164,447 shares changed hands. Trading in the new shares resulting from the €150 million Rights Issue was possible as from today. Last Wednesday, the international rating agency Standard and Poor’s assigned a ‘BBB+’ rating to BOV coupled with a stable outlook. The agency noted the Bank’s progress in reducing its exposure to non-performing loans and the strengthening of its capital base through the Rights Issue.
  • The equity of GO plc eased minimally to the €3.549 level after opening at a low of €3.50 (-1.4%). Only 1,830 shares traded.
  • Also among the large companies by market capitalisation, Malta International Airport plc recaptured the €4.70 level (+1.3%) across 11,029 shares and HSBC Bank Malta plc edged a further 0.3% higher to close at the €1.765 level on light volumes of just 1,404 shares.
  • Lombard Bank Malta plc advanced by 2.2% to regain the €2.30 level across 12,292 shares.
  • Medserv plc also performed positively today with a gain of 0.2% back to the €1.14 level on thirty-one deals totalling 46,560 shares.