Daily Market Highlights (31.01.2018)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index rebounded by 0.45% to 4,478.320 points today, reflecting the gains in the share prices of Trident, BOV, HSBC and Santumas whilst only MIA trended lower. Meanwhile, six other equities closed the day unchanged on low volumes. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index drifted lower for the fourth consecutive day as it lost a further 0.06% to a near four-week low of 1,113.619 points. Euro zone sovereign yields moved slightly lower today (bond prices gained) as a high-ranking ECB official was reported as saying that the central will not be “too hasty” in ending its asset purchase programme. On the economic front, the unemployment rate in Germany fell to a record low of 5.4%. Meanwhile, in the US, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged at its two-day policy meeting that will come to an end today.
  • On its first day of trading, the equity of Trident Estates plc jumped by 22.6% to the €1.52 level on volumes totalling 83,396 shares. Trident is the property company spun-off from Simonds Farsons Cisk plc following the declaration of an ‘in-kind’ net interim dividend of €1.2403667 per share by Farsons on 20 December 2017. This morning, Trident announced that the rights issue expected to take place in 2019 would amount to 15 million new shares of a nominal value of €1 each. Moreover, the company announced that its three major shareholders have already agreed to take up their proportionate entitlement of the eventual rights issue. The company also revealed that it has secured bank loans with a leading local bank for the purpose of redeveloping the Brewery Façade located in Mriehel into Trident Park. As a result, all prerequisites for the redevelopment of Trident Park are now in place.
  • In the retail banking sector, HSBC Bank Malta plc gained 1.1% to the €1.78 level across 17,594 shares whilst seven deals totalling 13,923 shares lifted the equity of Bank of Valletta plc back to the €1.81 level (+0.6%).
  • The other positive performing equity today was Santumas Shareholdings plc which advanced by 0.7% to a new all-time high of €1.51 across 18,505 shares.
  • In contrast, Malta International Airport plc shed 0.4% to the €4.86 level on three deals totalling 3,600 shares.
  • MIDI plc retained the €0.34 level after recovering from an intra-day low of €0.33 (-2.9%). Only 7,500 shares traded.
  • Within the same segment, two deals totalling 6,000 shares left the equity of Malta Properties Company plc at the €0.515 level.
  • Medserv plc maintained the €1.23 level on trivial volumes and PG plc held on to the €1.39 level on a single deal of 1,800 shares.
  • Simonds Farsons Cisk plc (920 shares) and Mapfre Middlesea plc (3,222 shares) also ended flat at the €7.50 and €1.78 levels respectively.