The MSE Equity Price Index dropped below the 4,000-point level as it shed by 0.67% to 3,991.441 points. The declines in BOV, IHI, MIA and RS2 outweighed the gains in Lombard and Main Street whilst six other equities closed flat. Meanwhile, trading activity contracted sharply to just €0.08 million from €0.54 million yesterday.
Despite recovering from an intra-day low of €0.59 (-11.9%), International Hotel Investments plc still ended the day lower as it shed 3.7% to the €0.645 level across 3,000 shares.
Malta International Airport plc lost 2.4% as it returned to the €6.05 level across 3,740 shares. This afternoon the airport operator published its traffic results showing a drop of 90.7% in passenger traffic during the month of January.
RS2 Software plc fell by 1% to the €1.98 level across insignificant volumes.
In the retail banking sector, Bank of Valletta plc erased all of yesterday’s gains as it lost 1.5% to the €0.93 level across 27,030 shares. Meanwhile, Lombard Bank Malta plc surged by 14.1% to a 1-month high of €2.26 across 1,500 shares.
Today’s only other positively performing equity, Main Street Complex plc, added 1.6% to the €0.498 level as 5,000 shares changed hands.
Meanwhile, BMIT Technologies plc failed to hold onto an intra-day high of €0.49 (+2.1%) as it closed flat at the €0.48 level across 15,900 shares.
A single trade of 1,500 shares left Simonds Farsons Cisk plc rooted to the €8.00 level.
Tigné Mall plc retained the €0.80 level across 2,200 shares after recovering from an intra-day low of €0.735 (-8.1%).
Elsewhere, Mapfre Middlesea plc (€2.22), Trident Estates plc (€1.45) and PG plc (€2.04) all traded unchanged across single trades of trivial volumes.
The RF MGS Index partially recovered from yesterday’s sharp decline as it rebounded by 0.08% to 1,122.605 points. The decline in euro sovereign bond yields comes after a strong rally across equity markets in the past few days.
Meanwhile in the US, former President Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial opens today with a debate over the constitutionality of trying a president after he has left office. The Senate trial is only the fourth impeachment of a president in US history.