The Malta Stock Exchange Index finished the last session of the week in positive territory, gaining more than seventeen points, or 0.5 per cent, to close at 3,346.040 in relatively light volume of 78,020 shares across 37 deals.

Banking shares closed higher in the session, with stock of Bank of Valletta plc leading the gains. BOV shares added 3c, or 1.1 per cent higher on volume of 3,300 shares across four deals to close at €2.880. At the end of trading BOV released its financial results for the interim six month period ending 31 March 2011. The banking group realized a profit of €30.6 million for the period versus €29.6 million in the same period a year ago. Earnings per share came in at €0.126 versus €0.122 for the interim period in 2010 while the bank declared an interim gross dividend of €0.0625 (€0.0406 net of tax) to be paid on 26 May 2011 to shareholders appearing on the bank’s register as at close of business 12 May 2011.

HSBC Bank Malta plc shares also climbed higher, adding 3c, or 1.0 per cent, in moderately light volume of 16,720 shares across ten deals to end the session at €3.000.

GO plc stock continued to be shed by investors, and dropped 1c1, or 0.8 per cent, to finish the week at €1.349 in robust volume of 53,000 shares across 22 deals. On Thursday, GO stock lost 3c, or 2.2 per cent, on volume of 30,165 shares across nine deals.

Closing out the day’s trading were the shares of Malta International Airport plc, which closed unchanged at €1.699 in a single deal of 5,000 shares.

In the corporate bond market, three out of seven bonds to trade in the day closed higher while two issues finished lower. Managing the day’s biggest gains was the 7% GAP Developments Plc Euro Sec 2011-2013 issue,which climbed €2.450, or 2.6 per cent, to close at €97.500 in two trades for a total of €12,500 nominal.