Last minute trades lift MSE Share Index

For most of today’s trading session on the Borza the MSE Share Index trailed lower before being lifted higher to 3,346.092 points (+0.3%) during the latter part. A late bout of fresh demand lifted the equities of Bank of Valletta plc and Malta International Airport plc as well as helping Simonds Farsons Cisk plc to close unchanged.

Bank of Valletta plc reversed yesterday’s decline as the equity jumped 1.3% to regain the €3.24 level across eight trades amounting to 14,125 shares. Meanwhile HSBC Bank Malta plc again closed unchanged at the €2.80 level on low volumes of 9,000 shares.

Also in the financial services sector, Middlesea Insurance plc opened at €1.00 (the highest level since 20 September) but eventually eased back to the €0.99 level – unchanged from the previous close. A total of 1,532 shares changed hands today.

Malta International Airport plc closed in positive territory for the second successive session as its share price edged a further 0.7% higher to €1.54 on volumes of 5,300 shares. Meanwhile GO plc eased 0.5% lower to €1.84 across five trades totalling 32,700 shares.

The share price of Simonds Farsons Cisk plc opened the day 5.7% lower at €1.65 on a miniscule trade of 99 shares but the equity subsequently regained the €1.75 level on another small trade of 300 shares. The Farsons Group is expected to pay the recently declared interim dividend of €0.0133 per share next Friday 22 October.

On the bond market, the 20-year Malta Government Stock dropped 62 basis points to 103.38% with various other corporate bonds active. The buy-back offer period of Bay Street Finance plc starts tomorrow. A copy of the Tender Offer Memorandum is available for download from our website.