The Malta Stock Exchange added almost fifteen points, or 0.5 per cent in the first session of the week on Monday, to close at the 3,093.201 level. Trading volume was very light as just 26,225 shares across 20 deals were traded.

Leading the session higher was the equity of Island Hotels Group Holdings plc, which added 4c5, or 5.3 per cent, to end at €0.895 in a single deal of 100 shares.

Bank of Valletta plc shares added 2c, or 0.8 per cent across six deals for a total of 10,185 shares to finish the day at €2.540. Yesterday’s gain comes on the back of a 1c rise in BOV’s stock price in a reversal of the recent downward trend in banking shares.

Shares of HSBC Bank Malta plc also gained 2c, or 0.8 per cent, to end at €2.690 in ten deals for a total of 10,940 shares. On Friday, HSBC’s shares were up by 1c on volume of 31,400 shares.

Malta International Airport plc shares, meanwhile, closed unchanged at €1.520 in three trades for a total of 5,000 shares.

The corporate bond market finished mostly higher with five of the bonds to trade ended higher while two ended lower. The day’s biggest gainer was the 7.15% Mediterranean Investments Holding plc Euro 2015-2017 issue which added €1.000, or 1.0 per cent, to close at €97.000 in a single deal of €1,000 nominal. Closing considerably lower was the 7% FIMBank plc EUR 2012-2019 bond which dropped €1.400 or 1.4 per cent, to end at €99.600 in two trades for a total of €7,200 nominal.

The government bond market closed considerably higher with all twelve of the bonds to see action on Monday closing higher. The big mover was the 4.6% MGS 2020 (II) bond, which added €0.960, or 0.9 per cent, to close at €105.28 in two deals for a total of €70,000 nominal.