Daily Market Highlights (16.12.10)

  • Positive trend in local equity market persists mainly due to the continued recovery in HSBC. MSE Share Index up another 0.5% higher to just below the 3,550-points level as HSBC and FIMBank trade higher to offset the 4.3% drop in Middlesea. Meanwhile BOV and GO close unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • HSBC continued to build on the 3.8% rise registered in the previous two sessions as the equity climbed another 2% this morning to regain the €3.10 level. 21,272 shares exchanged today with further bids unsatisfied at the closing price whilst lowest offers now pitched at the €3.15 level. The Bank generally issues its full-year results by the end of February.
  • Further support for BOV‘s equity at the €3.77 level on volumes of over 15,000 shares. The Bank is scheduled to hold its Annual General Meeting this afternoon. Shareholders will be asked to approve the €0.16 final gross dividend per share and the 1 for 5 bonus issue. If approved, the dividend will be paid tomorrow whilst investors may continue to gain entitlement to the bonus issue until 7 January 2011.
  • FIMBank regains the US$0.95 level (+ 1.1%) on activity totalling 55,000 shares. Meanwhile fresh sell orders send Middlesea’s share price 4.3% lower to the €1.00 level across two deals totalling 3,717 shares.
  • A single trade of 1,500 GO shares transacted at the €1.90 level, unchanged from the previous close. Best bids placed at €1.88 whilst lowest offers now placed at the €1.92 level.
  • Yesterday MaltaPost announced that its Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on 5 January 2011 to consider and approve the financial statements for the year ended 30 September 2010. MaltaPost’s equity remains inactive with bids already placed higher than the last closing price of €0.93 and lowest offers placed at the €1.00 level.
  • Also yesterday, MIDI announced that following its recent share issue, the company’s total issued share capital now amounts to €42,831,984.40 divided into 214,159,922 ordinary shares of a nominal value of €0.20 each. The Company explained that 35.32% of its total issued share capital is held in public hands. The MIDI shares will be admitted to the Official List of the Malta Stock Exchange next Monday 20 December with trading expected to commence the following day. Further details available here.