Trading activity during Friday’s session on the Malta Stock Exchange ended on a marginally negative note as the Index dropped by a mere 0.08 per cent to terminate at the 3,533.22 level. In the equity market activity was relatively muted as investors traded an aggregate of four deals across three different companies. However, today’s highlight was the publication of the interim financial statements of Malta International Airport and HSBC Bank Malta.

Trading activity during Friday’s session on the Malta Stock Exchange ended on a marginally negative note as the Index dropped by a mere 0.08 per cent to terminate at the 3,533.22 level. In the equity market activity was relatively muted as investors traded an aggregate of four deals across three different companies. However, today’s highlight was the publication of the interim financial statements of Malta International Airport and HSBC Bank Malta.

Bank of Valletta was the only equity to end the session in negative territory as the share price dropped by 1c5 or 0.5 per cent to close at €3.255. Investors in the Bank swapped 3,533 shares across three deals for a market value of €11,501.92. The Bank also issued an interim directors statement for the period commencing on 1 April to date. During the third quarter of the current financial year, the retail and corporate businesses of the Bank have continued to perform well. Looking ahead, the results of the full year will be influenced by the behaviour of the credit markets in the last quarter. The expectation is that profits from the core retail and corporate operations will be satisfactory and ahead of those achieved in 2009.

Meanwhile, in the banking sector, FIMBank was the session’s sole non-mover as the equity’s share price closed unchanged at $1.00. Activity in the trade finance specialist resulted when two investors transacted a total of 3,200 shares.

GO shares ended the day on a positive note as the equity rose by a marginal 0c5 or 0.3 per cent to terminate at the €1.90 level. Activity in the quadruple play telecommunications’ company was muted as two investors exchanged a mere 500 shares.

Despite not being active during the trading session, Malta International Airport published its interim financial statement for the first six months of the year. The Group’s turnover for the period is €22,186,118, which is 7.9 per cent higher than the turnover registered for the same period last year. Meanwhile, the Group registered a profit before tax of €5,645,382, which is more than the €4,698,028 registered during the same period a year earlier, reflecting the substantial increase in passenger numbers. The Group is proposing a net interim dividend of €0.03 per share on all shares settled as at close of business on Monday 9 August 2010.

Elsewhere, HSBC Bank Malta also published its interim financial statements for the six-month period ended 30 June 2010. During this period, the Bank registered a profit before tax of €42.2 million, which is an increase of 21.4 per cent, or €7.4 million, compared with €34.8 million for the same period in 2009. Customer deposits were €4,146.0 million at 30 June 2010, an increase of €59.4 million, or 1.5 per cent, compared with 31 December 2009. The Board is declaring an interim gross dividend of 7.9 euro cents per share. This will be paid on 24 August 2010 to shareholders who are on the bank’s register of shareholders as at 10 August 2010.

In the fixed interest sector of the market, activity was spread across 13 corporate bonds and 16 government stocks.