The share index today edged 0.3 per cent higher to 3,425.973 points as five of the seven active equities gained including three equities across the financial sector.

HSBC led the pack of gainers with a one per cent rise to regain the €2 level on total volumes of 18,600 shares. HSBC’s full-year results will be published on February 23.

Lombard Bank gained 0.5 per cent and closed at the €1.91 level on higher volumes of 28,109 shares after recovering from a low of €1.85. Lombard’s board of directors is set to meet on March 9 to consider and approve the financial statements for the year ended December 31.

Similarly, Bank of Valletta closed marginally higher at the €2.08 level on total activity amounting to 71,882 shares.

In last week’s interim statement (covering the period from October 1 to date), BOV explained that it continued to experience weak demand for business lending which was mitigated by the increasing request for home loans.

Meanwhile, customer deposits continued to grow despite the lower rates, resulting in higher levels of liquidity. Concurrently, the bank registered a satisfactory rate of growth across all key business lines, maintained the cautious view towards provisioning and registered moderate positive price changes on its investment portfolio.

RS2 Software gained 0.3 per cent and closed at €2.97 on volumes amounting to 12,000 shares while Tigne Mall edged 0.2 per cent higher to a new record of 67c1 on activity of 56,000 shares.

Meanwhile, two other equities closed the day unchanged. GO held on to the €2.65 level on volumes of 36,180 shares while a single deal of 1,622 shares Loqus Holdings changed hands at the 12c level.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index advanced by 0.06 per cent to 1,127.794 points as the indicative bid prices of the medium and the long-term MGS all rose.

Meanwhile, 10-year benchmark Eurozone yields increased following positive economic growth figures across the eurozone with Germany’s GDP exceeding expectations during the final three months of 2014 with an increase of 0.7 per cent.

Earlier this morning, the treasury announced two new issues for a total of €120 million subject to an over-allotment option of up to a further €60 million. The new issues are a fungible issue of the two per cent MGS 2020 (V) and a new 25-year bond, the three per cent MGS 2040.

The offer prices of the two issues will be announced on Thursday in the afternoon and the offer period for retail investors closes on February 25.

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