Daily Market Highlights (28.12.2017)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index resumed its recent downward trend as it erased some of yesterday’s gains and inched 0.08% lower to 4,473.876 points. Trading activity was spread across seven shares – two ended in negative territory, another two posted gains whilst FIMBank, MIA and Loqus Holdings closed the day unchanged. Only €0.23 million worth of shares changed hands today. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • Following yesterday’s rebound of 0.14%, the RF MGS Index eased by 0.05% to 1,123.173 points today as euro zone sovereign yields climbed. The European Central Bank will resume its monthly asset purchases as from 2 January 2018 at a new monthly pace of €30 billion until the end of September 2018.
  • Bank of Valletta plc extended yesterday’s decline of 2.7% by a further 1.1% to the €1.78 level on volumes totalling 33,405 shares. Last Wednesday, the international rating agency Standard and Poor’s assigned a ‘BBB+’ rating to BOV coupled with a stable outlook.
  • The other negative performing equity today was PG plc which lost 1.8% to a three-month low of €1.40 across 28,950 shares. Last week, the company published its interim results revealing a pre-tax profit of €5.5 million. Going forward, the Directors made reference to the refurbishment of the PAVI supermarket as well as the extension of the Alhambra complex both of which should be completed during 2018. The Directors also indicated that they are cautiously optimistic that PG will deliver positive results for the full financial year ending 30 April 2018 in line with the projected net profit of €8.4 million as set out in the company’s IPO Prospectus dated 27 March 2017.
  • Malta Properties Company plc surged by 11.4% to recapture the €0.48 level albeit on a single deal of just 5,000 shares.
  • The equity of RS2 Software plc also trended higher today with a gain of 1.9% to the €1.528 level across 56,300 shares.
  • Meanwhile, FIMBank plc (14,959 shares) and Malta International Airport plc (5,675 shares) maintained the USD0.69 and €4.70 levels respectively.
  • On the Alternative Companies List, Loqus Holdings plc retained the €0.175 level on trivial volumes.