Trading activity for the first day of the week on the Malta Stock Exchange ended on marginally negative territory as the Index shed 0.02 per cent to close at the 3,333.478 level. This resulted when a single equity registered a loss, while no other equity registered any gains. The trading session was characterised by very low activity in the equity market, as investors were active in just two companies, transacting an aggregate of 10,026 shares spread over eight deals.

The day’s sole mover was MaltaPost, as the equity depreciated by 1c5 which equates to a drop of 1.5 per cent to terminate at €1.000. Investors in the postal operator transacted a total of 7,891 shares spread across five deals.

The only other equity to be active for the day was Bank of Valletta. However, the bank registered no change in its share price as the equity closed unchanged at €2.700. Activity was relatively subdued as investors exchanged 2,135 shares across three deals.

In the fixed interest sector of the market, activity was higher than in the equity market and was spread across nine corporate bonds and six government stocks. In the corporate bond sector, few bonds registered a change in their price, while two bonds gained and one closed lower. The best performer was the 5.35% Bank of Valletta subordinated 2019 euro bond, which gained almost 2 per cent, when €10,000 nominal was transacted across a single deal to close at €103.500. On the contrary, the day’s worst performer was the 5.6% GlobalCapital 2014/16 bonds which dropped by 2.4 per cent on volume of €22,000 nominal spread across 3 deals and closing at the €83.00 level.

Meanwhile, in the sovereign debt market, sentiment was negative as five of the six stocks to trade ended in negative territory, while only one ended with a negligible gain. The worst performer was however, the 5% MGS 2021(I) bond, which dropped 0.43 per cent, when €21,647 nominal were transacted across two deals to close at €103.030.