Daily Market Highlights (17.10.12)

  • MSE Share Index back into negative territory with a 0.2% drop to 3,179.657 points as HBSC, Lombard, Middlesea and Plaza trade lower. On the other hand, BOV and GO moved higher whilst MIA traded unchanged. Download a copy of the Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index eased by 0.1% to a new 3-week low of 995.923 points as Eurozone yields surpassed the 1.6% level for the first time since 23 August. Investors’ appetite for risk increased significantly today after Moody’s maintained the investment grade status of Spain’s sovereign paper affirming its Baa3 rating. This also eased Spain’s borrowing costs with the benchmark 10-year yields of Madrid retreating to 5.523% – the lowest level since early April 2012.
  • On the local corporate bond market, it is noteworthy to highlight that the 6.2% Tumas Investments plc 2020 traded up at an all-time high of 107.5% on volumes of €204,100 (nominal).
  • More than 602,000 Plaza Centres plc shares changed hands today representing 2.1% of the Company’s share capital. The share price slipped by 13.6% to €0.51, representing a new 19-month low.
  • The share price of Lombard Bank also retreated by 1.1% to yet another fresh 7-year low of €1.80 across nine trades totalling 18,569 shares.
  • Middlesea Insurance shares also closed in negative territory as the equity clipped some of the recent increases with a 2% dip to €0.755 on low volumes of 4,329 shares.
  • Also in the financial sector, HSBC shed 1.1% to €2.77 across nine trades totalling 48,100 shares.
  • On the other hand, BOV edged 1.4% higher to regain the €2.26 level during the final stages of today’s session. A total of 19,975 shares changed hands ahead of the Bank’s full-year results publication on Friday 26 October.
  • Likewise GO advanced by 1% close at the €0.99 level for the first time since 24 August. Just under 9,800 shares traded as investors continue to await further information on the rights issue of Forthnet.
  • The only other active equity was MIA which closed unchanged at €1.75 on a single trade of 3,400 shares.