Index ends week unchanged and gains 0.5% in December

Following last week’s notable gain the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) Index, closed the week merely unchanged at 3,211.906 points, while on a monthly basis the index advanced by 0.5 per cent. Due to the festive season, the index was only active yesterday and on Thursday, with Bank of Valletta plc and GO plc being the sole equities which registered changes in their share price. On the other hand all other active equities closed the week unchanged. Turnover in the week amounted to Eur241,760 traded over a total of 129,491 shares which were executed across 43 transactions.

Meanwhile, turnover in Corporate Bonds reached Eur458,689 million traded over 12 issues, with the newly listed International Hotels Investment plc issue being the most active. In the Government Stock Market trading value totalled Eur800,099 which was executed across 13 issues. The most liquid issue for the week was the 4.6% MSG 2020 as total volume amounted to 160,000 nominal.

From the financial sector, Bank of Valletta plc was the only equity which experienced a movement in its share price. In fact, the banking equity closed the week lower by 0.2 per cent. A total of 24,100 shares were traded over 13 trades to close the week at Eur2.415.

On the other hand, HSBC Bank Malta plc closed the week flat at Eur2.70 over two sessions, in which the equity emerged as the most liquid as turnover totalled to Eur74,673. Moreover, the equity declined by 1.8 per cent in the month of December.

Likewise, both Lombard Bank plc and FIMBank plc closed the week unchanged. The former was active on in the first session of the week, in which a single trade of 2,500 was executed, thus closing the week at Eur1.86. Similarly, the latter maintained the $0.80 price level, thus ending the year up by just below four per cent. Also from the financial services sector and in line with its peers Middlesea Insurance plc was active on Thursday in which 1,414 shares changed hands across a single trade to close at Eur0.74.

Meanwhile, from the telecommunications industry, GO plc paved way for the seventh consecutive week of gains with a further appreciation of 0.9 per cent. The equity was active in both sessions, in which it closed flat on Thursday, while it gathered the said gain on Friday to close the week at Eur1.19. One must highlight that the equity surged by 70 per cent from the registered lows of Eur0.70 recorded in the second week of May.     

Meanwhile, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc closed unchanged at Eur2.50, thus recording a monthly gain of 4.2 per cent, while Plaza Centres plc was active on Friday over a scant volume of 67 shares to end the week at Eur0.60.

From the aviation industry Malta International Airport plc was also positioned on the non-movers list, despite trading at an intra-week low of Eur1.79. The equity was the third most liquid with total trading value amounting to Eur50,569.

Meanwhile, the other non-movers for the week were 6pm Holdings plc, Maltapost plc and Santumas Holdings plc which closed unchanged at GBP0.31, Eur0.85 and Eur1.80 respectively.

We wish all our readers a Prosperous New Year.