The Malta Stock Exchange witnessed another down day on Friday, as persistent Middle East and North African turmoil continued to worry investors who shed their equity and bond holdings, pushing the index down almost 17 points, or 0.5 per cent, to close at 3,609.639.

RS2 Software plc suffered the day’s worst loss, dropping 5c, or 11.1 per cent, to close at €0.400 in two deals for a total of 4,500 shares.

MaltaPost plc, on the market’s best performers of late, lost 5c5, or 5.0 per cent, to end the day at €1.040 on volume of 7,022 shares across four deals.

Other equities to suffer losses include Middlesea Insurance plc, which fell 4c, or 3.8 per cent, to finish at €1.010 on low volume of 4,572 shares across two trades.

In the banking sector, HSBC Bank Malta plc, fell 2c1, or 0.7 per cent, to close at €2.980 in fourteen trades for a total of 24,570 shares while Bank of Valletta plc shares dropped 0c4, or 0.1 per cent, to end the day at €2.990 on volume of 16,271 shares across 11 deals.

Trading in opposite direction to the general investor sentiment were the shares of Crimsonwing plc, which added 0c4, or 1.1 per cent, to close at €0.379.

The other equity to see action in the last session of the week, yet remained unchanged, was Malta International Airport plc, which closed at €1.750 in a single deal of 2,800 shares.

Corporate bonds of those local companies with direct ties to Libya continued to be the most active issues on the day. Trading finished mostly negative with seven issues trading lower, three finishing higher and nine closing unchanged. The 7.5% Mediterranean Investments Holding plc € 2015 bond closed €11.000, or €10.9 per cent lower, to end at €90.000 in nine deals for a total of €62,000 nominal. The 6.25% International Hotel Investments plc € 2015-2019 bond, meanwhile, shed €10.000, or 10.0 per cent, to end the week at €90.000 on volume of €22,000 across three deals.