Daily Market Highlights (01.02.17)

  • The MSE Share Index erased some of yesterday’s decline as it rebounded by 0.10% to 4,720.566 points. Trading activity was spread across nine equities: three moved higher, another three registered declines whilst BOV, IHI and MIDI closed flat. Volumes improved as nearly €0.43 million worth of shares changed hands – the highest in the last four trading sessions. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index halted its five-day negative steak as it bounced back by 0.13% to 1,121.845 points. Euro zone sovereign yields inched slightly lower today (bond prices went up) despite continued encouraging economic data showing that, during January, manufacturing in Germany grew at its fastest pace in three years. Meanwhile, bond markets will be attentive to the outcome of today’s US Federal Open Market Committee meeting including any possible indications of when the Fed will likely raise interest rates in the coming months.
  • Trading activity in Bank of Valletta plc remained robust as 78,462 shares changed hands with the price holding on to the €2.16 level.
  • Also among the large companies, International Hotel Investments plc maintained its three-month high of €0.66 across 84,455 shares. Yesterday, IHI announced that it has appointed Numis Securities to assist it in the exploration of financing options, including potential capital raising, to enable IHI and its subsidiary companies to take advantage of its growing pipeline of potential development project opportunities.
  • MIDI plc also held on to the €0.33 level on heightened activity totalling 225,000 shares.
  • Within the same sector, Malta Properties Company plc extended yesterday’s gains by a further 0.2% to the €0.532 level across 45,055 shares. This morning, MPC revealed that it has entered into an agreement for the sale of the Sliema Old Exchange for a total consideration of €5.0 million. The Company explained that the promise of sale agreement is valid and effective up to 31 January 2018 and the sale proceeds are earmarked towards funding other development projects and/or any acquisition opportunities.
  • Two deals totalling 6,000 shares lifted the equity of GO plc 1.5% higher to a fresh eight-month high of €3.45. The share price has now recovered all the substantial losses suffered following the announcement made on 23 May 2016 disclosing that Tunisie Telecom was chosen as the final preferred bidder replacing Emirates International Telecommunications as the majority shareholder of GO.
  • HSBC Bank Malta plc gained 0.5% to the €2.01 across 9,000 shares. The Bank is scheduled to publish its full-year results on 21 February.
  • Meanwhile, Medserv plc moved back to the €1.60 level (-3.0%) on light volumes totalling 6,800 shares.
  • Malita Investments plc eased by 0.7% to a fresh near two-year low of €0.843 across 12,000 shares.
  • The equity of Malta International Airport plc shed 0.5% to the €4.05 level on six deals totalling 11,300 shares. The airport operator is due to reveal its 2016 financial results on 22 February.