The Malta Stock Exchange Index ended the last session of the week with a marginal gain of just over 2 points, or 0.1 per cent, to end the day at the 3,374.218 level.

HSBC Bank Malta plc shares gained 1c, or 0.3 per cent, to close at €2.970 in seven deals for a total of 6,900 shares.

Bank of Valletta plc stock, after trading most of the day marginally lower, closed unchanged at €2.740 on brisk volume of 27,178 shares across six trades.

Shares of the local postal operator, MaltaPost plc, also closed unchanged in the session, as 34,908 shares across five deals changed hands at a price of €1.020.

RS2 Software plc, although witnessing action of 11,500 shares across a single deal, failed to register a change in its closing price of €0.499.

The other equity to trade on the day, and the sole loser in the session, was that of the local telecommunications provider, GO plc, which finished 0c9, or 0.7% lower, to close at €1.370 in two deals for a total of 4,000 shares.

Trading in the corporate bond market was mostly negative as seven of the fourteen bonds to trade in the day closed lower while two ended higher. The 4.25% FIMBank plc USD 2013 bond dropped a $1.000, or 1.0 per cent, in a single deal $26,800 nominal to end at $99.000. The 6.3% International Hotel Investments Plc € 2013 issue, meanwhile, gained €0.900, or 1.0 per cent, to close at €94.900 in a single deal of €129 nominal.

Trading in the government bond bounced back from losses earlier in the week, with six of the nine issues to trade closing higher and a single bond ending lower. The 5.25% MGS 2030 (I) issue added €0.740, or 0.7 per cent, in four trades for a total of €53,800 nominal to close at €101.850, while the 7.8% MGS 2012 bond closed €0.270, or 0.27% lower, to close the day at €105.270 in heavy volume of €3,250,000 nominal across four deals.