The Malta Stock Exchange Index shed eight points, or 0.2 per cent on Wednesday, to close at the 3,861.955 level. Trading volume was relatively brisk as 110,115 shares were traded across 58 deals, most of which were executed in the shares of Bank of Valletta plc.

BOV shares remained stable on the day, closing unchanged at €3.050 on volume of 62,427 shares across 30 deals. Trading in BOV has been heavy so far this week with over 360,000 shares changing hands in just three sessions.

HSBC Bank Malta plc shares, meanwhile, closed marginally lower, shedding 1c, or 0.3 per cent, to close at €3.500 in thirteen deals for a total of 23,558 shares.

The other financial services stock to close lower in the session was that of Middlesea Insurance plc, which fell 3c, or 2.8 per cent, to finish at €1.040 in low volume of 4,060 shares across three deals.

Also ending the day lower were the shares of GO plc, which fell by 2c, or 1.0 per cent, to end at €1.900, in three deals for a total of 3,200 shares.

Simonds Farsons Cisk plc shares managed to put in a marginally positive performance yesterday and gained 0c9, or 0.5 per cent, to finish at €1.810 in a single deal of 500 shares.

Also closing in positive territory was the stock of Malta International Airport plc, which added 1c, or 0.6 per cent, to end the session at €1.810 in four deals for a total of 5,370 shares.

Other shares to trade during the day yet closed unchanged were those of MaltaPost plc and MIDI plc, which closed at €1.050 and €0.450 respectively. Trading was relatively light as 1,000 shares were executed in MaltaPost in a single deal, while 10,000 shares of MIDI changed hands across three deals.

Trading in the government bond market finished mostly negative as ten out of the eleven issues to trade in the session closed lower. The bond suffering the biggest loss was the 5.5% MGS 2023 (I) issue, which ended €0.740, or 0.7 per cent lower, to close at €106.120 in a single deal of €3,028 nominal.