The Malta Stock Exchange Index fell just short of seven points, or 0.2 per cent on Friday to close at 3,124.444 on moderate trading volume of 71,860 shares across a total of 33 trades.
The IT solutions provider, RS2 Software plc, suffered the biggest loss on the day, dropping 1c, or 1.8 per cent, to finish at €0.550 in three deals for a total 11,800 shares.
Shares of the local postal operator, MaltaPost plc, also closed 1c lower, shedding 1.0 per cent from its market capitalization, to close at €0.990 in two trades for a total of 8,301 shares.
In the banking sector, Bank of Valletta plc shares dropped 2c4, or 0.9 per cent, to close the week’s trading at €2.565 on volume of 24,244 shares across a total of sixteen trades.
HSBC Bank Malta plc shares, meanwhile, closed unchanged at €2.700 in five deals for a total of 9,915 shares.
Lombard Bank plc managed to buck the negative trend and ended a marginal 0c1, or less than 0.1 per cent higher, to end the session at €2.700 in two trades for a total of 13,000 shares.
Putting in the day’s best performance were the shares of the local telecommunications provider, GO plc, which added 0c5, or 0.4 per cent, and finished at €1.255 in three trades for a total of 1,600 shares.
Plaza Centres plc stock rounded out trading and closed the week at €1.800 in two trades across a total of 3,000 shares.
Trading in the corporate bond market finished mixed as two of the eleven bonds to trade in the day closed higher while three ended lower. The 7.15% Mediterranean Investments Holding plc Euro 2015-2017 bond added €3.000, or 3.3 per cent to put in the day’s best performance and closed at €93.000 in two trades for a total of €3,000 nominal.
The government bond market closed decidedly higher again on Friday as ten of the twelve issues to trade finished in positive territory two bonds closed unchanged. The 5.5% MGS 2023 (I) managed a solid gain of €2.140, or 2.0 per cent, to end the day at €110.190 in a single deal of €2,330 nominal. On Thursday all nine of the issues to trade in the day ended higher.