BOV, HSBC strongly ahead

Bank of Valletta shares increased a total of 31c1 (6.221 per cent) over the week after opening Monday's session at Lm 4.999 and closing yesterday's at Lm5.31. During the week the price ranged between Lm5.399 and Lm4.97. Turnover amounted to 100,577 shares changing hands over one hundred and forty-seven deals. Following Friday's trading session 1,570 shares at Lm5.31 and 1,000 shares at Lm5.35 were the best unsatisfied bids and offers respectively.

Trading in HSBC shares opened the week at Lm9.06 on Monday and gained 69c during the week to end yesterday's session at Lm9.75. During the week, trading ranged between Lm9.86 and Lm9.06. Trading for the week consisted of 32,848 shares changing hands over 65 deals. Best bids for 75 shares at Lm9.53 and best offers of 330 shares at Lm9.70 remained outstanding when yesterday's session drew to a close.

In the meantime, Maltacom shares opened the week at Lm1.60 on Monday and went up to close the week at Lm1.67 yesterday. A total of 84,592 shares changed hands during the week, spread over 104 deals. As yesterday's session drew to an end, 2,500 shares at Lm1.67 and 1,585 shares at Lm1.675 were the best outstanding bids and offers respectively.

Yesterday, Maltacom plc, announced that nominations of candidates for the election of directors during the forthcoming annual general meeting of the company, scheduled for May 2005, started being from yesterday.

In a company announcement dated February 21, Lombard Bank Malta plc, announced that the attribution price, at which the new shares to be issued will be determined, has been established on the trade weighted average price of the Bank's shares for the three months up to and including February 17, 2005. The said attribution price will be Lm4.19,2 and the dividend payment date will be April 8, 2005.

The other equities which traded during the week appear below, followed by the range in which trading took place: 2,852 Lombard Bank shares between Lm5.00 and Lm4.91; 2,432 Middlesea Insurance shares between Lm2.90 and Lm2.85; 7,408 Simonds Farsons Cisk shares between Lm1.13 and Lm1.121; 7,230 International Hotels Investments shares between €0.75 and €0.745; 26,975 Plaza Centres shares between Lm0.64 and Lm0.63; 24,900 FIM Bank shares between USD1.14 and USD1.12; 18,484 Malta International Airport shares between Lm1.345 and Lm1.30 and 13,448 Global Financial Services shares between Lm1.016 and Lm0.90.

Total Malta government stock turnover amounted to a nominal value of Lm209,700 being traded in 53 deals over 21 different stocks. Trading over the week in corporate bonds was made up of a total value of Lm138,688.

The Malta Stock Exchange share index increased by 165.256 points or 4.9 per cent over the week and now stands at 3,537.779.