Daily Market Highlights (21.10.09)

  • MSE Share Index recovers some of yesterday’s decline with a 0.4% increase to 3,135.839 points as five of the nine active equities trade higher. Low volumes persist in the local equity market while encouraging volumes again registered across the various active corporate bonds and Malta Government Stocks. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • Following two sessions of declines, HSBC edges 1% higher to regain the €2.797 level. A single trade of 3,000 shares executed this morning with best bids at €2.75 whilst further offers remaining unsatisfied at the close price.
  • Meanwhile BOV again closes unchanged at the €3.35 level. Only 1,700 shares exchanged today with best bids in the market at €3.32 whilst few other offers placed at the last trade price. The Bank is scheduled to publish its September 2009 full-year results on Friday 30 October.
  • Medserv’s share price rises by 1% to a fresh 2009 high of €3.99 as the equity trades for the first time in two weeks. 18,750 shares change hands today with no bids in the market and further offers outstanding at the closing price. Following today’s upturn, this equity is 14% higher since the Company’s interim results publication on 31 August. The results showed total revenue for the first half of 2009 of €8.2 million, representing a 38.2% increase over the turnover in the comparative period last year. Moreover the Group’s pre-tax profit surged to €1.5 million from €0.7 million in the first half of 2008. Further details on results available here.
  • GO and Simonds Farsons Cisk also trade higher. The telecoms company edges 0.6% higher to regain the €1.609 level on volumes of 3,655 shares. Farsons jumps 2.5% to close at the €1.65 level after easing from an intraday high of €1.66. Three trades amounting to 1,915 shares transacted this morning.
  • Low volumes also in Lombard and FIMBank. Lombard maintains the €2.50 level on volumes of 3,200 shares. Meanwhile the trade finance specialist increases by 0.9% to US$1.12 on a single trade of 1,150 shares.
  • Meanwhile MIA close unchanged at the €2.20 level on two thin trades totalling just 700 shares.
  • MaltaPost‘s share price declines by 1.3% to €0.691 on four trades amounting to 4,346 shares. Best bids of 4,000 shares still in the market at the €0.65 level whilst some other offers remain unsatisfied at the closing price.
  • Close-ended investment scheme Santumas Shareholdings maintains the €2.50 level on volumes of 2,500 shares. Last week Santumas slumped 17.8% despite the publication of the Annual Report for the year ended 30 April 2009 which showed that pre-tax profits climbed to €2.3 million from a loss of €0.8 million registered in the previous year. The main reason behind this significant improvement was due to the profit on sale of property of €3.5 million (announced on 25 July 2008). However the Directors explained that the performance of the equity portfolio was poor, in line with the decline in the local and international equity markets during the period under review. The current share price represents a discount of 32.6% from the latest net asset value of €3.711.