The MSE Equity Price Index rebounded by 0.22% to 3,826.281 points as the gains in six equities outweighed the declines in MIA, MPC, RS2 and Farsons whilst PG traded unchanged. Meanwhile, trading activity amounted to just €0.05 million.

BMIT Technologies plc added 1.6% to the €0.498 level as 8,000 shares changed hands – it’s highest closing price since 17 June 2020.

on Tuesday, BMIT published its 2020 financial results showing a 6.9% increase in revenues to €24 million with the main drivers for this growth being a greater demand for connectivity and cloud services. Meanwhile, BMIT’s EBITDA rose by 5% to €10.5 million whilst profit before tax climbed by 6.4% to €7.6 million. In the CEO’s statement within the annual report, it was noted that international market expansion remains a priority for the company and that it is evaluating a number of options to achieve this aim.

The board of directors are recommending a final net dividend of €0.02922 per share. The final net dividend will be paid on 28 May 2021 to all shareholders as at close of trading on Thursday 22 April 2021. Moreover, BMIT’s Annual General Meeting will be held remotely on Wednesday 26 May 2021.

In the same sector, Harvest Technology plc inched 0.7% higher to the €1.45 level across 3,500 shares whilst RS2 Software plc fell by 1.1% to the €1.78 level as 5,000 shares changed hands.

In the retail banking sector, Bank of Valletta plc added 2.2% as it regained the €0.92 level across 9,509 shares whilst HSBC Bank Malta plc rose by 0.6% to the €0.845 level across 2,900 shares. HSBC shareholders as at close of trading on Thursday 18 March 2021 will be entitled to the recently recommended final net dividend of €0.00754 per share

Meanwhile, BOV’s insurance subsidiary – Mapfre Middlesea plc – climbed by 1.8% as it regained the €2.24 level with 5,029 shares changing hands. Mapfre is scheduled to publish its annual financial statements on Thursday 25 March.

Main Street Complex plc erased all of yesterday’s losses as it rebounded by 10.7% off of its all-time low to recapture the €0.498 level across a single deal of 4,000 shares.

Elsewhere, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc (-1.2%) and Malta Properties Company plc (-0.9%) eased to the €8.00 and €0.555 levels respectively across single trades of insignificant volumes.

Similarly, Malta International Airport plc edged 0.8% lower to a 14-week low at the €5.90 level across a single trade of just 175 shares.

PG plc closed flat at the €1.99 level as 5,100 shares changed hands.

The RF MGS Index rose by 0.06% to 1,115.074 points before being revised 0.28% higher to 1,118.159 points later this afternoon, reflecting the sharp decline in Euro Sovereign Bond yields. Today, local Finance Minister Clyde Caruana and Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli confirmed that the full wage supplement scheme for those employers which have been impacted by coronavirus restrictions will remain in place until June and will then be

gradually reduced before ending in December. Mr Caruana noted that the Maltese govern-ment had spent around €360 million on the wage supplement in 2020 and that a further €200 million will be spent on the same measure in the coming nine months.

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