The MSE Share Index closed in negative territory for the fifth consecutive session to its lowest level in almost 17 weeks.
This morning the local equity benchmark shed a further 0.4 per cent to 3,364.286 points mainly due to the 1.2 per cent decline in the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc to a fresh four-year low of €2.47 across 14 deals totalling 37,530 shares.
Similarly, the share price of Lombard Bank Malta plc retreated by 2.4 per cent back to the €1.85,5 level on a single deal of 5,000 shares. Likewise, only one trade was executed in GO plc shares with just 600 shares changing hands at the €1.50 level representing a 0.7 per cent drop from the previous close.
In the IT sector, RS2 Software plc and Crimsonwing plc eased off from their all-time highs. RS2 shed 1.6 per cent to drop back to the €1.85 level across 10,871 shares and Crimsonwing eased 1.3 per cent to end the session at the 74c level on volumes of 45,700 shares.
On the other hand, the share price of Island Hotels Group Holdings plc advanced by 2.6 per cent to regain the 99c level for the first time since April 2011. A total of 6,000 shares changed hands across two trades.
MaltaPost plc jumped five per cent higher to regain the €1.05 level across 12 deals totalling 29,807 shares. This month marks the end of the company’s financial year with the preliminary results generally published by early December.
September also marks the end of the financial year of Bank of Valletta plc whose shares traded unchanged at the €2.35 level during this morning’s session on low volumes of 1,204 shares. BOV generally publishes its preliminary full-year results by the end of October.
Likewise, 2,000 shares of Malta International Airport plc traded unchanged at the €1.88 level.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index eased 0.1 per cent to 1,020.551 points as Eurozone yields marginal recovered to regain the 1.95 per cent level.
Investors now eagerly await the decision of the US Federal Reserve on monetary policy at the end of the two-day meeting tomorrow.
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