Index up on week

The Malta Stock Exchange Share Index rose 74.791 points or 1.67% last week and now stands at 4,564.117. There was an increase in the closing price of most equities when compared to their opening positions at the beginning of this week including International Hotels Investments (6.383%), Simonds Farsons Cisk (4.651%), FIMBank (3.723%), HSBC Bank Malta (1.86%), Maltacom (1.53%), Malta International Airport (1.391%) and Bank of Valletta (0.583%). The other listed equities closed the week in a neutral position.

HSBC's share price rose 13c last week after opening at Lm6.99 on Monday. Trading consisted of 40,408 shares, changing hands over 65 deals. Best bids for 215 shares at Lm7.02 and best offers of 1,700 shares at Lm7.13 remained unsatisfied when Friday's session drew to a close.

BoV shares opened at Lm6.86 and gained 4c. Total turnover amounted to 64,813 shares, changing hands over 131 deals. At the end of Friday's session, best unsatisfied bids for 251 shares at Lm6.891 stood against best unsatisfied offers of 800 shares at Lm6.91.

In a company announcement on Monday, BoV's board of directors published the ordinary resolutions that are being presented for consideration at the 32nd annual general meeting on December 16. These include the approval of the profit and loss account and balance sheet for the year ended September 30, 2005, the approval and payment of a gross dividend of 15c per share, the appointment of the directors and the re-appointment of the auditors.

In a separate company announcement, the bank gave notice of the special business to be transacted at its AGM, that Lm13,854,110.25 from the bank's retained earnings account be capitalised to issue 55,416,441 fully paid ordinary shares of a nominal value of 25c per share for the one for one bonus share issue approved by the directors to be allotted to shareholders on the register of members as at the close of trading on January 18, 2006.

FIMBank's share price reached an all time high of $1.95 after trading opened on Monday at $1.88. Total turnover amounted to 46,113 shares, changing hands over 13 deals. At the end of Friday's session, bids for 1,000 shares at $1.88 and offers of 255 shares at $1.95 made up the best unsatisfied closing positions.

Meanwhile, FIMBank confirmed that, further to a company announcement on November 9, 5,107,930 ordinary shares were issued to International Finance Corporation on November 28, representing 7.18% of the bank's issued share capital.

Maltacom opened trading at Lm1.699 on Monday and closed at Lm1.725 on Friday. Trading during the week ranged between Lm1.731 and Lm1.699, with total turnover amounting to 121,687 shares.

These shares changed hands over 67 deals. Following the close of business on Friday, best unsatisfied bids for 6,900 shares at Lm1.72 stood against best unsatisfied offers of 6,000 shares at Lm1.73.

On Monday, Malta International Airport announced that VIE (Malta) Ltd, a subsidiary of Vienna International Airport registered in Malta, holds more than five per cent of MIA's total issued share capital.

The other equities which traded last week, with the trading range in brackets, were: 1,561 Lombard Bank shares (Lm7.10); 820 Middlesea Insurance shares (Lm3.40); 3,216 SFC shares (90c-86c); 60,000 IHI shares (€0.85-€0.799); 1,500 Plaza Centres shares (64c); 1,000 Global Financial Services (Lm1.25-Lm1.249); and 736,931 MIA shares (Lm1.54-Lm1.51).

Total Malta Government Stock turnover amounted to a nominal value of Lm545,000, being traded in 47 deals over 17 different stocks. Trading over the week in corporate bonds was made up of a total value of Lm57,073.

Azzopardi Investment Management Limited is licensed by the MFSA to provide investment services, including stockbroking. The company is involved in acting as sponsoring and corporate stockbroker for various listed companies. The directors or related parties, including the company, and their clients, are likely to have an interest in securities mentioned.