Daily Market Highlights (13.10.10)

  • Yesterday’s upturn in the local equity market was short-lived as the MSE Share Index retreats by 0.2% this morning on high volumes in some equities. Index now at a new 2010 low of 3,336.618 points as declines in BOV and Lombard offset gains in MIA and Middlesea. Meanwhile HSBC, GO, Plaza and MaltaPost closed unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • BOV’s share price down for the fifth time in the last six sessions. Equity declines by 1.2% during this morning’s session to the €3.20 level, thus wiping out all the increases registered since 24 September. Best bids now placed at €3.161 whilst lowest offers still placed at the €3.23 level. The Bank is due to publish its September full-year results by the end of October.
  • HSBC closed unchanged at the €2.80 level on low volumes of 3,700 shares. Further offers remained unsatisfied at the closing price whilst best bids now placed at the €2.77 level.
  • Single trades transacted in the other active financial equities. Lombard slips 1.4% back to the €2.70 level on volumes of 625 shares while Middlesea Insurance advances by 2.1% to regain the €0.99 level across 500 shares.
  • Fresh bids lift MIA’s share price by 0.7% to €1.53 on higher volumes of 24,181 shares. Best bids still in the market at €1.52 whilst lowest offers now pitched at the €1.54 level. Recently the airport operator published yet another set of positive traffic statistics. Further details on the September passenger numbers available here.
  • GO closes unchanged at the €1.85 level as the equity trades for the first time in almost a week. 17,300 shares change hands today with further offers outstanding at the last traded price whilst best bids now in the market at the €1.81 level.
  • Plaza Centres also unchanged at the €1.685 level across two trades totalling 30,000 shares. Best bids still placed at €1.52 whilst no offers in sight.
  • MaltaPost maintains its 2010 high of €0.90 on high volumes of 88,726 shares.  Lowest offers now placed at the €0.92 level.
  • Details on the FIMBank plc bond issue available and copy of the prospectus available here.