Daily Market Highlights (07.09.10)

  • Positive performances by HSBC and IHI help equity market close higher after four consecutive negative sessions. MSE Share Index up 0.6% during this morning’s session to 3,388.931 points. Meanwhile BOV, MIA and Lombard trade lower whilst FIMBank unchanged at USD0.97. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The Central Bank of Malta Stockbroker increased the bid prices for Malta Government Stocks as the 10-year benchmark Eurozone yield slipped back below the 2.3% level.  The 10-year Government paper is now trading at 105.90%, 39 basis points higher than the previous close.
  • HSBC recovers from a fresh 2010 low of €2.80 to close 0.4% higher at the €2.83 level. 20,400 shares change hands today with best bids now placed at €2.79 whilst further offers remained unsatisfied at the closing price.
  • Meanwhile BOV reverses yesterday’s increase as the Bank’s share price drops by 0.3% to the €3.20 level. Fourteen trades totalling 12,064 shares transacted today with best bids in the market at €3.18 and lowest offers pitched at the €3.22 level.
  • IHI recovers some of its recent decline as the share price closes 3.8% higher to €0.83 on volumes of 30,212 shares. IHI’s 2010 interim results, published last Tuesday, show an overall loss after tax of €9.19 million during the period under review compared to a loss of €2.81 million incurred during the first half of 2009. Further details of results available here.
  • FIMBank unchanged at the US$0.97 across two trades amounting to over 42,000 shares. Further bids of over 58,000 shares outstanding at the closing price whilst lowest offer placed at the US$0.99 level.
  • A single trade of 1,000 Lombard shares executed at the €2.75 level – a new 2010 low. Best bids now pitched at €2.65 whilst few other offers remained unsatisfied at the last traded price.
  • MIA’ share price edges a further 0.3% lower to €1.56 despite the strong August traffic numbers published last Friday. Last Friday, the Company announced the traffic statistics for the months of August, showing a 13.4% increase in passenger movements compared to August 2009. MIA explained that passenger movements reached an all-time high of 427,924 movements mainly due to the increase in seat capacity which also clocked in a new monthly record of 536,495 seats. Further details on traffic results available here. 2,200 exchanged today with further bids remaining unsatisfied at the closing price whilst lowest offers now placed at the €1.57 level.