The Malta Stock Exchange Index gained just under four points again on Wednesday, adding another 0.1 per cent on moderate volume to close at the 3,354.470 level. Yesterday’s gain mirrored Tuesday’s advance of 4 points on uncharacteristically heavy volume of 145,034 shares.

Bank of Valletta plc shares continued to stem recent losses and gained another 3c, or 1.1 per cent, to close at €2.730 on volume of 16,291 shares across 15 deals. Yesterday’s advance comes on the heels of a 6c gain in the retail bank’s stock price in Tuesday’s session.

Leading the positive move for the index was the stock of MIDI plc which, after losing 1c on Tuesday, added 2c9, or 7.1 per cent yesterday, to end at €0.439 in seven shares for a total of 50,000 shares.

HSBC Bank Malta plc dropped 2c5, or 0.8 per cent, to close at €2.960 on low volume of 2,600 shares across two deals.

Still in the financial services sector, Middlesea Insurance plc lost 3c, or 2.9 per cent, in a single deal of 1,246 shares to end trading at €0.990.

Equity of the local telecommunications provider, GO plc, shed a marginal 0c1, or less than 0.1 per cent, to finish at €1.369 in nine deals for a total of 8,520 shares.

Malta International Airport plc was the sole, remaining stock to trade in the session that remained unchanged, ending at €1.700 in two deals for a total of 8,200 shares.

Trading in the corporate bond market was light as €80,000 nominal across 15 deals were traded. Bonds finished mostly mixed, meanwhile, as three of the nine issues to trade in the session closed lower while a single bond ended higher. The 6.25% Corinthia Finance plc € 2016-2019 issue closed €1.000, or 1.1 per cent lower, to end at €93.000 in three deals for a total of €17,400 nominal. The sole advancer was the 6.25% Tumas Investments plc € 2014-2016 bond, which gained €0.120, or 0.1 per cent, to end at €103.500 on volume of €3,000 nominal across two deals.