BOV share price at new 28-month low

The equity of Bank of Valletta plc remained under pressure as it closed in negative territory for the fourth time in the last five sessions. The share price again failed to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.13 as it closed at a new 28-month low of €2.112 representing a 0.4% decline from the previous day’s closing price. Over 13,300 shares changed hands today across twelve trades.

Similarly, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc eased minimally lower to €2.649 across five trades totalling just over 19,000 shares. The Bank’s equity will trade with the entitlement to the recently announced final gross dividend of €0.072 per share until next Tuesday 13 March. The shares will subsequently trade ex-dividend as from 14 March.

MaltaPost plc shares also closed in negative territory with a 2.2% drop to a new 16-month low of €0.91 on a small trade of 634 shares. Meanwhile, FIMBank plc’s share price edged 0.7% higher to the US$0.75 level on very low volumes of 900 shares but offers are already pitched lower at the US$0.74 level. The FIMBank Group is scheduled to publish its 2011 full-year results on 12 March.

The two other active equities, Malta International Airport plc and Lombard Bank Malta plc, closed unchanged ahead of their 2011 full-year results publication on 22 March and 15 March respectively.

Meanwhile, tomorrow, Plaza Centres plc will be reporting its 2011 full-year financials.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index again eased minimally lower to close at 987.371 points. Eurozone yields hover between the 1.78% and 1.80% levels as markets await tomorrow’s deadline related to the acceptance or otherwise by private investors of the Greek sovereign debt swap deal.