The MSE Equity Price Index resurfaced above the 3,700 mark on Thursday as it advanced by 0.6% to 3,705.567 points. Strong uplifts in BOV and Lombard outweighed the declines in RS2, GO and MPC whilst HSBC, BMIT and AX Real Estate closed the day unchanged. Overall trading activities in equities improved to €0.26 million compared to just €0.03 million on Wednesday.

Bank of Valletta plc was again the most actively traded equity as it surged by 7.5% to the €0.935 level on a total of 109,252 shares having a market value of €0.1 million.

The other positive performing equity was Lombard Bank Malta plc as it advanced by 3.8% to recapture the €1.90 level across 38,676 shares.

Within the same sector, HSBC Bank Malta plc stayed at the €0.75 level after opening at a high of €0.79 (+5.3%). A total of 90,000 shares changed hands.

BMIT Technologies plc and AX Real Estate plc traded flat at €0.47 and €0.55 respectively albeit on light volumes.

Low trading activity also took place in the ordinary shares of RS2 Software plc which trended 4.3% lower to the €1.55 level.

Also among the large companies by market value, GO plc eased by 0.7% to the €3.04 level on 1,000 shares.

Meanwhile, Malta Properties Company plc dropped by 4.1% to a 17-month low of €0.494 across 19,000 shares.

The RF MGS Index trended higher for the first time in nearly three weeks as it rebounded by a minimal 0.09% to 926.839 points. Yesterday, the US Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 75 basis points (the sharpest uplift since 1994) to a range between 1.5% and 1.75%. The central bank also indicated that it expects to continue increasing its key interest rate in the coming months to at least bring it to 3% by the end of this year. Elsewhere, today the Bank of England also raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points 1.25%.