During Friday’s session on the Malta Stock Exchange the Index ended on a negative note as it dropped 0.3 per cent to end at the 3,876.391 level. This happened when gains registered in two equities did not make up for losses registered in Malta’s largest local banks and Middlesea Insurance. In the equity market activity was spread across seven different equities, as investors transacted an aggregate of 127,828 shares spread across 55 deals.

In the banking sector, Lombard Bank Malta headed the list of gainers as its shares rose by 11c, which equates to an increase of 3.9 per cent to close at €2.960, which is a new high for the current year. Trading activity in the Bank resulted when investors swapped 10,457 shares across 5 deals for a market consideration of €30,546.

Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta shares ended the day in negative territory as the equity dropped by 3c or 1.0 per cent to close at the €3.100 level. The Bank was also the session’s most actively traded equity as investors exchanged 60,414 shares over 29 deals. Elsewhere, Middlesea Insurance shares also ended the day in the red, as its share price dipped by 1c or 1.0 per cent to close the day at €1.010.

Likewise, HSBC Bank Malta was also on the list of losers for the day, as its share price depreciated by 3c or 0.9 per cent to end the day at €3.500. A volume of 5,780 shares were transacted across 7 deals.

Simonds Farsons Cisk was the day’s best performer as its share price rose by a substantial 12c or 7.1 per cent to end the session at €1.800. Investors in the company exchanged 3,811 shares over 3 deals.

Despite being active during the day, GO and International Hotel Investments shares ended the session without registering any change in price, thus closing unchanged at €1.929 and €0.970 respectively.

In the fixed interest sector of the market, activity was relatively subdued and spread over four corporate bonds and four government stocks. The highest turnover in the corporate debt market during was registered in the 4.8% Bank of Valletta Subordinated 2020 euro bond, as investors negotiated €16,000 nominal over 13 deals to close at €103.00.