The Malta Stock Exchange Index lost just over four points in the last session of the week yesterday, to close at the 3,340.478 level. Trading volumes tapered off from Thursday’s levels as 69,182 shares across 23 deals were traded.

Crimsonwing plc shares, which dropped 7c, or 16.7 per cent on Wednesday, managed to rebound somewhat in yesterday’s trading by gaining 3c, or 8.6 per cent, to close at €0.380 in a single deal of 16,549 shares.

Shares in the banking sector continued to finish mixed. Bank of Valletta plc shares were up marginally, by 1c, or 0.3 per cent, to close at €3.240 in four deals of 7,456 shares. HSBC Bank Malta plc shares, meanwhile, lost 2c4, or 0.9 per cent to end the day at €2.770 in three deals for a total of 4,000 shares.

Other banking shares, such as those of Lombard Bank Malta plc, and FIMBank plc, closed unchanged at €2.600 and US$0.950, respectively in light volume.

MaltaPost plc shares, which have been one of the market’s strongest performers of late, managed to gain another 2c, or 2.2 per cent Friday, to close at a record high of €0.920 in two deals for a total of 4,137 shares.

Simonds Farsons Cisk plc, on the other hand, suffered a down day as investors shed 3c, or 1.7 per cent, off its share price. A total of 5,740 shares exchanged hands across three deals to force the shares down to €1.720.

Other shares to perform well on the day were GO plc, which gained 1c, or 0.5 per cent, to end at €1.870 in three trades of 6,000 shares, and Plaza Centres plc, which finished up 1c5, or 0.9 per cent, to close at €1.700 in a single deal of 5,400 shares. Friday’s closing price represents a new high for the year for the shares of Plaza Centres.

Other shares to trade in the day, yet end unchanged, were International Hotel Investments plc, and Malta International Airport plc, which closed at €0.800, and €1.600, respectively, both on low volumes.

Trading in the corporate bond market was very light as €18,300 nominal across nine deals took place. The only bond to to make any significant movement was the 5.60% GlobalCapital 2014-2016 issue which lost €2.00 or 2.3%, to close at €85.00 in a single deal of €3,000 nominal.

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