The MSE Equity Price Index rebounded by 0.21% to 3,560.564 points as the uplifts in the share prices of GO and FIMBank outweighed the declines in HSBC and Lombard. Meanwhile, MIA, MPC and M&Z traded flat as overall trading activity improved to €0.26 million compared to €0.07 million yesterday.
Most of today’s activity took place in the equity of Malta International Airport plc as it stayed at the €5.90 level across 29,913 shares having a market value of €0.18 million.
M&Z plc held on to the €0.75 level on a single deal of 50,000 shares.
Malta Properties Company plc also ended the day unchanged at the €0.51 level on trivial volumes.
In the banking sector, Lombard Bank Malta plc eased by 1.6% to the €1.80 level on 10,000 shares. Yesterday, the bank reported a 12.7% increase in net profit for the 2021 financial year to €7.48 million. Lombard’s performance was boosted by the growth in operating income as well as a €1.46 million release in expected credit losses. Shareholders as at close of trading tomorrow will be eligible to receive a net dividend of €0.0195 per share. Moreover, shareholders as at close of trading on 20 June will receive one bonus share for every 75 shares held.
HSBC Bank Malta plc drifted 1.9% lower to the €0.77 level across 11,853 shares.
In contrast, FIMBank plc rebounded strongly to the USD0.206 level (+7.3%) on a total of 25,463 shares.
Similarly, GO plc advanced by 2.5% to recapture the €3.26 level across 4,675 shares. Tomorrow, the equity starts trading ex-div.
The RF MGS Index continued to trend lower as it dropped by a further 0.07% to 998.984 points – the lowest level since November 2012. Fresh data published today showed that inflation in the euro area climbed to a new record of 7.4% but this was slightly below what economists were expecting.