The Malta Stock Exchange Index fell by 3.1 per cent, to 3,356.012 for the week as trading volume was relatively light, at 362,203 shares across 157 deals.

In the banking sector, Bank of Valetta plc shares were off marginally, by 0.2 per cent, to €2.895 in 54 deals for a total of 72,672 shares.

HSBC Bank Malta plc stock added 1.0 per cent in 26 deals across 76,430 shares to end the week at €2.960.

Lombard Bank Malta plc, meanwhile, dropped by 1.7 per cent to finish Friday’s session at €2.950.

Suffering the week’s largest loss was the equity of International Hotel Investments plc, which dropped a precipitous 15.6 per cent, to close at €0.700 in four deals for a total of 6,500 shares.

Witnessing their share price soar was RS2 Software plc, which gained over 51.4% in market value, to close at €0.530 in seventeen deals for a total of 97,800 shares. Late in the day on Tuesday, RS2 released its operating results for the financial year ended 31 December 2010. The group earned a pre-tax profit for the year of €1.6 million versus €0.4 million earned in 2009. The gain in profit was due to an increase in top-line revenue of €1.6 million, to €7.5 million from €5.9 million a year ago.

Other equities to trade include Middlesea Insurance plc, which shed 5.9 per cent, to end the week at €0.800 in fifteen trades for a total of 15,361 shares.

GO plc shares were also lower on the week, dropping 2.7 per cent, to finish at €1.450 on volume of 25,200 shares across sixteen deals.

Also trading lower on the week were the shares of MaltaPost plc and Malta International Airport plc, which closed 0.1 per cent and 0.3 per cent lower, respectively, both in low volumes. Closing prices registered at €1.089 and €1.755, respectively.

Finally, shares of the local real estate developer, MIDI plc, had two trades of 200 shares change hands at the price of the company’s initial public offering price of €0.450.