Daily Market Highlights (29.12.09)

  • MSE Share Index in negative territory for the first time in six sessions. Local equity market retreats by a marginal 0.1% to 3,445.442 points as a result of declines in HSBC, Lombard Bank and MaltaPost. Meanwhile Middlesea’s share price climbs 7.3% to a close of €0.805. Last trading session of 2009 to take place tomorrow. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • HSBC sheds 0.6% to drop back to €3.23 on low volumes of 5,490 shares with few other offers remaining unsatisfied at the closing price.
  • Lombard Bank’s positive run comes to a halt as the equity trades lower for the first time in almost a month. Share price slumps 0.7% dropping back to the €2.97 level on a single trade of 1,000 shares. Last week the Bank announced that its Board of Directors is scheduled to meet on 11 March 2010 to approve the Group’s 2009 full-year results and to declare a final dividend.
  • Meanwhile BOV maintains the €3.80 level as all offers at this level are snapped up. Just under 13,600 shares exchanged during this morning’s session with lowest offers now pitched at the €3.81 level. Equity trading with the entitlement of the 1 for 4 bonus share issue until 12 January 2010.
  • Renewed demand for Middlesea shares help the share price jump 7.3% to €0.805 on volumes of 31,725 shares. Equity is now trading 34.2% higher than its rights issue price of €0.60.
  • GO also closes unchanged at €2.10 after recovering from an intra-day low of €2.08. Only 2,000 shares change hands this morning with best bids still at the €2.08 level whilst further offers outstanding at the last trade price of €2.10.
  • FIMBank closes unchanged at its 2009 low of US$1.09 on high volumes totalling almost 53,000 shares. Recently Fitch Ratings affirmed the trade specialist ratings – more details available here.
  • MIA also holds on to yesterday’s gains as a further 3,790 shares exchanged at the €2.40 level. Few other bids outstanding at the closing price whilst lowest offers placed substantially higher at the €2.99 level.
  • Meanwhile MaltaPost declines by 2.8% to drop back to the €0.70 level on two trades amounting to 12,000 shares. The postal operator is scheduled to publish its September 2009 full-year results on 21 January 2010.