The MSE Equity Total Return Index (MSE) failed to reverse the recent trend and closed in negative territory yet again – this time by 0.42%, to finish at 7,972.952 points.
Nineteen equities were active, but only three gained ground, while five closed unchanged. In all, 72 deals were executed for a total turnover of €292,372.
Bank of Valletta plc was the most liquid equity for the week. The banking equity was active on 15 occasions for a total turnover of €84,614.
This generated a negative performance of 0.57%, to close at €0.865.
Its peer, HSBC Bank Malta plc, also registered a weekly decline as the equity closed at €0.80 – 2.44% down on the week. The equity featured in six trades, in which a total of 24,351 shares exchanged hands.
In the same industry, Lombard Bank Malta plc was also active, albeit on thin volume, to close unchanged at €1.98 – having recovered from an intra-week low of €1.81.
Grand Harbour Marina plc headed the list of fallers, as a drop of 7.50% was registered, to close at €0.74. It is, however, important to note that this drop happened over a single deal worth just €80.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc closed the week 9.82% up at €8.95.
The common feature with the former is that this equity also traded once, for a mere turnover of €331.
Telecommunications Company, GO plc, was another equity to close in negative territory, as two deals worth a total of €10,158 dragged the price 2.94% to €3.30.
Meanwhile, its subsidiary company BMIT Technologies plc experienced a similar fate, as 51,000 shares exchanged hands over seven deals, resulting in a 1.22% drop in price to close at €0.484.
MaltaPost plc was the equity that suffered the second largest weekly decline, as three deals worth a total of €12,400 yielded a 3.13% fall – the price read €1.24 at the end of yesterday’s session.
Elsewhere, Mapfre Middlesea plc and PG plc, were also active three times each, but both closed unchanged at €2.12 and €2.44 respectively.
Interestingly, the ordinary and preference shares of RS2 Software plc registered contrasting performances.
The ordinary shares depreciated by 2.29%, to close at €1.71, while the preference shares closed 2.94% up at €1.75. The former featured in seven deals worth a total of €32,110, while the latter traded only once in a deal worth less than €2,000.
Malta International Airport plc (MIA) shares had another negative week, as the share price declined by 0.83%, to settle at a one-month low of €5.95.
During the week, seven transactions worth €26,330 were executed. Since the beginning of the year, MIA shares are 4.03% down.
Harvest Technology plc declined by 2.67%, as a single deal worth less than €5,000 was recorded. The share price at the end of yesterday’s session read €1.46. The board announced that it is scheduled to meet on November 4, to consider the distribution of an interim dividend to shareholders on the register of members as at November 10, 2021.
International Hotel Investments plc (IHI) and MedservRegis plc both had a negative week, as they recorded declines of 1.64% and 0.72% respectively.
The hospitality company was active on five occasions, for a total turnover of €6,602, while the oil and gas industry player traded once as 1,900 shares changed hands. The respective prices at the end of the week read; €0.60 and €0.69.
72 deals were executed for a total turnover of €292,372
On Thursday IHI announced that it had received regulatory approval for the issuance of an €80m unsecured bond issue with an annual coupon of 3.65% and maturing in 2031.
The bond will be issued at par and the prospectus will be available as from November 1, 2021.
VBL plc shares gained 3.57% to close at €0.29 – the week’s second largest gainer. The equity was active twice, as 13,500 shares changed hands.
The company is scheduled to hold an extraordinary general meeting on December 14, 2021.
Also, in the property sector, Malita Investments plc and Malta Properties Company plc were active and closed unchanged at €0.82 and €0.56 respectively. Both equities were active on relatively slim volume, in aggregate worth less than €12,000.
Yesterday, the board of Loqus Holdings plc has approved the financial statements for the financial year ended June 30, 2021. The Group registered a profit before tax of €1.2m compared to a loss of €0.1m the previous year.
Loqus Holdings plc also recorded a sharp increase in revenue of 48% to €8.1m, up from €5.4m in 2020. This year’s annual general meeting will be held on December 20, 2021. No trades were recorded during the week.
In terms of IPO activity, on Wednesday Hili Properties plc announced that the MFSA approved the prospectus relating to the IPO and the admissibility to listing of the shares.
More details about this IPO will be made available shortly.
In addition, AX Group announced that AX Real Estate Limited, a subsidiary of the company and which is in the process of converting into a public limited liability company, intends to submit an application to the MFSA for authorisation for admissibility to listing on the official list of the MSE.
The company intends to raise capital through an equity offer and a bond issue. More details will be available in due course.
The MSE MGS Total Return Index closed marginally higher by 0.14% at 1,092.235 points.
In all, 11 government bonds were active, as turnover reached €1.1m across 28 transactions. The long-dated 2.4% MGS 2041 was the most active, as four transactions worth €0.6m were executed.
The MSE Corporate Bonds Total Return Index ended the week lower by a mere 0.08%, to finish at 1,152.43 points. A total of 39 bond issues were active across 167 trades, worth €2.3 million.
Last Monday, trading commenced in the newly issued 3.65% Mizzi Organisation Finance plc Unsecured 2028 – 2031.
The issue closed the week at €102.60.
Turnover in this bond reached €1.1m over 53 transactions. The 3.5% Bank of Valletta plc 2030 S2 T1 was the second most active, as it closed the week 1% higher at €103.