Daily Market Highlights (19.04.10)

  • Local equity market back into negative territory with the MSE Share Index easing 0.4% to close at 3,480.031 points – just 20 points above its value at the end of last year. Today’s decline is mainly attributable to 1% drop in HSBC. Middlesea and RS2 Software also close lower. Meanwhile Simonds Farsons Cisk and MaltaPost climb to new highs. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • HSBC share price drops 1% to close at a fresh 2010 low of €3.05. Low volumes of 4,570 shares traded today with best bids now placed at the €3.011 level whilst further offers remain unsatisfied at the closing price. The Bank is scheduled to pay the final gross dividend of €0.08 tomorrow.
  • BOV also edges 0.2% lower to close at the €3.291 level after easing from an intra-day high of €3.31. Just under 3,800 shares change hands this morning with few other bids outstanding at the closing price whilst lowest offers now pitched at the €3.298 level. This afternoon the Bank announced that its Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on Friday 30 April to consider and approve the Group’s financial statements for the six months ended 31 March 2010 and to consider the declaration of an interim dividend.
  • Following last week’s 4.6% jump, MaltaPost’s share price rises by a further €1.3% to a new 2010 high of €0.81. High volumes of over 51,000 shares traded today with best bids in the market at €0.80 whilst further offers unsatisfied at the last traded price. The postal operator will publish its financial statements for the six months ended 31 March 2010 on Thursday 13 May.
  • Simonds Farsons Cisk edges 0.6% higher to close at a new 2010 high of €1.73 in response to last week’s announcement of a substantial improvement in pre-tax profits to €3.1 million and the recommendation of a final net dividend of €0.05 per share. Three trades amounting to 2,526 shares transacted today with best bids now placed at €1.635 whilst lowest offers pitched at the €1.78 level. Farsons’ equity turns ex-dividend as from 26 May.
  • Middlesea closes 0.7% lower at €0.70 after opening today’s session at €0.72. 5,370 shares trade today with further demand for the equity at the closing price. Middlesea is expected to publish its 2009 results on Tuesday 27 April.
  • 1,700 MIA shares trade unchanged at the €3.10 level on low volumes of just 1,700 shares. Best bids already placed higher at €3.15 with lowest offers still in the market at the €3.20 level. The airport operator is scheduled to hold its Annual General Meeting on 10 May.
  • A single trade of 1,000 RS2 Software shares executed at a fresh all-time low of €0.479, minimally below the last closing price. Few other shares on offer at the closing price whilst best bids still placed at €0.30 ahead of the Company’s 2009 full-year results publication tomorrow.
  • Loqus Holdings (formerly Datatrak) reverses some of this year’s gains as its share price slumps 37.5% back to the €0.20 level. Over 4,300 shares change hands today with best bids now placed at €0.15 with further offers remaining unsatisfied at the closing price.