The MSE Equity Price Index slipped by 0.33% to 4,524.692 points on Tuesday, reflecting the declines in BOV and Medserv which outweighed the gains in three other shares. Trading volumes contracted notably from the previous days as only €0.28 million worth of shares changed hands.
Medserv plc shed 3.5% to a near three-year low of €1.10 albeit on two deals totalling 12,183 shares.
Bank of Valletta plc retreated by 1.8% back to the €1.86 level across 11,959 shares. Yesterday, the Bank unveiled that subject to regulatory approval, BOV’s second largest shareholder – UniCredit S.p.A. – intends to dispose of its total shareholding in BOV to an investor that has already been identified. Shareholders as at close of trading on Friday 6 April will be entitled to a net dividend of €0.052 per share.
HSBC Bank Malta plc also closed at the €1.86 level (+0.5%) on thin volumes of 2,470 shares.
In the property segment, MIDI plc climbed 1.2% to regain the €0.35 level across 65,042 shares and Trident Estates plc added 2.7% to the €1.90 level on a total of 10,500 shares.
Meanwhile, Malta International Airport plc (19,761 shares) and Simonds Farsons Cisk plc (5,600 shares) traded unchanged at €4.90 and €7.00 respectively. MIA shareholders as at close of trading on 4 April 2018 will be entitled to a final net dividend of €0.07 per share.
GO plc maintained the €3.60 level after recovering from an intra-day low of €3.58 (-0.6%). A total of 16,005 shares changed hands.
The RF MGS Index extended yesterday’s drop of 0.06% by a further 0.09% to 1,116.960 points as euro zone sovereign yields drifted lower as the publication of various economic data disappointed.