The Malta Stock Exchange Index ended the last session of the week in red, losing 0.5 per cent to finish off at the 3,381.738 level. This drop was driven by losses registered in two of the three largest companies on the local exchange by market capitalisation. Trading in the equity market was spread over seven listings, but was limited to 22 deals.
Middlesea Insurance was the only company to end the session in positive territory. The Floriana-based insurance company managed to secure another 2.2 cents, or 2.1 per cent gain to end the session at the €1.052 level. This was achieved on turnover of 1,871 shares, across two deals.
On the other hand, the biggest drop was registered in Bank of Valletta’s share price, which decreased by a total of 6.0 cents, or 1.9 per cent, to finish off the week at the €3.14 level. Trading here consisted of seven deals for a total of 8,928 shares. The other stock, in the banking sector, to witness trading yesterday was HSBC Bank Malta. Activity here was also made up of seven deals, this time for a total of 11,410 shares which, however, did not have any impact on its previous closing price of €2.84. This albeit the fact that the share price started the day’s trading slightly higher at €2.85.
International Hotel Investments plc, was also on the day’s list of losers, dropping by 0.6 cents or 0.7 per cent, to end at €0.819, on a single trade of 2,009 shares.
The day’s highest volume was registered in Simonds Farsons Cisk, where a single trade of 15,396 shares was struck at the equity’s previous closing price of €1.80, thus not having an impact on the Index’s direction.
Similarly, trading in GO and Malta International Airport also lead to no changes in the equities’ respective prices which therefore ended the week at the €1.85 and €1.62 level, respectively.
In the bond market, trading was spread over five corporate bonds and seven government stocks. The biggest movement in the corporate bond market was registered in the 6.25% Tumas Investments bond 2014-2016, which gained 0.5 per cent, on a single deal of €2,000 nominal, to end the session at the €100.5 level. The latest bond offered to the general public by Simonds Farsons Cisk was also amongst the gainers, adding another 0.4 percent to finish off at the €102.95.
Likewise, in the government stock section, one of the last issues which were offered to the public, the 5.25% MGS 2030, registered the highest turnover and the biggest gain. A total of 12 deals were concluded in this bond, in which a total nominal value of €463,800 changed hands, with the price gaining 0.4 per cent to the €102.90 level.