The share index retreated by 0.47 per cent from yesterday’s eight-year high to 4,591.618 points today, largely on the decline in the share price of HSBC. Total value traded across the equity market declined to €305,000.

HSBC suffered its first daily decline in three weeks as it retreated by 3.5 per cent from its nine-week high of €1.72 to the €1.66 level across 8,126 shares.

Despite trading with the entitlement to the recently declared final net dividend of 0.7c per share, MIDI dropped 4.7 per cent to the 37c level across 30,000 shares. The equity turns ex-dividend as from tomorrow.

Also in the property segment, Plaza Centres retreated by 1.4 per cent to the €1.02 level across 63,533 shares. Shareholders as at close of trading on April 27 will be eligible to receive a final net dividend of 2c86 per share.

In contrast, two deals totalling 20,000 shares lifted the equity of Tigne’ Mall 0.1 per cent higher to the €1.05 level. The shopping complex operator will reveal its 2015 results on April 15.

Likewise, Malta Properties Company climbed to a four-month high of 59c (+1.7 per cent) across 50,500 shares whilst a single deal of just 800 shares pushed the equity of Malita Investments back to the 94c level (+4.4 per cent).

Trivial volumes were also registered in the equity of Lombard which went up by 0.5 per cent to the €2.23 level.

On the other hand, 48,364 shares having a market value of just over €110,000 pushed the equity of Bank of Valletta lc back to the €2.28 level (+0.4 per cent).

Also among the large companies, GO (10,000 shares) and Malta International Airport (1,400 shares) traded unchanged at the €3.48 and €4.38 levels respectively. The equity of GO turns ex-dividend tomorrow.

International Hotel Investments managed to recover from its lowest in more than a year of 62c1 before closing unchanged at the 65c level. A total of 20,409 shares changed hands today.

On the bond market, the RF MGS Index retreated by a further 0.11 per cent to 1,154.534 points despite rather unchanged euro zone bond yields. Minutes of the latest European Central Bank (ECB) governing council meeting showed that the council expressed that the introduction of negative interest rates had been "broadly" beneficial for banks in the euro zone.

The ECB did however express caution over cutting the deposit facility rate further, as it "could unduly increase the pressure on banks' profitability" and impact the sector's level of stability.

Trading in both Series 1 and Series 2 of the second tranche of the 3.5 per cent Bank of Valletta 2030 subordinated bond was possible as from today.

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