Following the declines registered in the last eight trading sessions, the MSE Equity Price Index opened this week in positive territory as it rebounded by 0.57% to 3,942.658 points.
A total of five equities trended higher, another three equities closed the day unchanged whilst only Plaza Centres plc posted a decline of 5.6% to the €0.92 level albeit on a single deal of just 4,000 shares.
The most actively traded equity today was Malta International Airport plc which maintained the €5.50 level on a total of 7,604 shares. MIA is due to publish its interim financial statements on Wednesday.
Also among the large companies, HSBC Bank Malta plc traded unchanged at the €0.95 level across 9,000 shares. HSBC will publish its interim financial statements on Monday, August 3.
Mapfre Middlesea plc closed unchanged at the €2.02 level on trivial volumes.
Low trading activity also registered across all other equities which were active today. Trident Estates plc rallied more than 11% to the €1.67 level across 700 shares.
Bank of Valletta plc added 1% to the €0.98 level after opening at a high of €1.00 across a total of 1,096 shares. BOV will publish its interim financial statements on Friday 31 July.
GO plc climbed 2.4% higher to regain the €3.44 level across 1,705 shares. Tomorrow, the company will be holding its Annual General Meeting during which shareholders will be asked to approve the payment of a net dividend of €0.10 per share for the 2019 financial year.
GO’s subsidiary – BMIT Technologies plc – advanced by 0.8% to the €0.486 level on a total of 5,163 shares.
Two deals totalling 5,000 shares lifted the equity of PG plc 1% higher back to the €1.96 level.
The RF MGS Index registered its sharpest decline in over seven weeks as it fell by 0.34% to 1,105.674 points. Market sentiment in Europe was dented by fresh concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic as the UK reintroduced a 14-day quarantine for individuals returning from Spain due to the increase in the number of cases. Meanwhile, the Ifo Business Climate indicator for Germany rose to a five-month high in July on the back of the new stimulus measures introduced by the German government including a temporary cut in VAT.