MSE

Trading Report for week ending January 8, 2010

HSBC

shares register hefty gains

The first trading week after the festive

season kicked off on a high note as gains were registered across all five

sessions, with the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE)

Index edging 5.56 per cent higher on last year’s closing level. Yesterday

the Index closed at 3,653.053 points, a level last reached since October 2008. Investors

concentrated their attention on equities rather than safer alternatives, like

government stocks, within which activity was low during all sessions. In the

equity market, activity increased across all trading sessions, with the

exception of Thursday, however a weekly high was reached yesterday as

transactions amounted to 93. Out of the 20 companies listed on the local stock

exchange, 15 were active this week as twelve initiated the year on a positive

note, two closed unchanged, while a single equity lost ground.     

Total transactions for the week amounted to

483 deals with a turnover of just under EUR 17m. In the equity market 325 deals were executed for a total value of over EUR

1.1m while in the corporate bonds market

122 transactions were registered for a value of EUR 946,489. On the other

hand 31 transactions in the government

bond market totalling EUR 335,421 were executed across eleven securities.

In the treasury bills market, five transactions

were traded amounting to EUR 14.4m.

HSBC

Bank Malta plc closed the week in the limelight after registering

gains of EUR 0.20c on both Thursday and Friday. The equity registered minimal

gains on Monday and Tuesday, while higher gains amounting to EUR 0.05 or 1.54

per cent were registered during the mid-week session, as trading volume

increased. An overwhelming gain of 6.06% was registered on Thursday and was

reiterated yesterday as over 31,000 shares were traded across 27 transactions. The

equity’s price now stands at EUR 3.70, edging 14.55 per cent up on last year’s

closing price.   

Out of the financial equities listed on the

MSE, Middlesea Insurance plc headed

the list of gainers, as the equity closed all five sessions in positive

territory. The equity was the most active equity, as 145,571 shares were traded

across 60 deals. Throughout the week the insurance company gained a hefty 16.92

per cent as the price soared from a low of EUR 0.804 to a weekly high EUR 0.989

reached on Friday but ended the week at EUR 0.94.

Meanwhile Bank of Valletta plc (BOV) had the highest number of transactions this

week as 93 deals totalling 92,387 shares were executed. The equity started the

year on a positive note, however, some of Monday’s gains were reversed on

Tuesday as the equity was the only loser of the day shedding 0.05 per cent.

However, the equity regained ground in the remaining sessions, closing the week

at EUR 3.96, up by 2.33 per cent on the week. 

 

Global

Capital plc also closed the week on a positive note as two deals

of 2,500 shares lifted the price by 6.96 per cent to reach EUR 1.444. A similar

gain of 6.02% was recorded by Lombard

Bank plc which registered gains on Tuesday and Friday, while closed

unchanged on Thursday. A total of 12 deals were executed for a total volume of

13,175 shares as the price now stands at EUR 3.17. FIMBank plc, although on lower activity, closed the week up, as

three transactions of 1,900 shares executed on Thursday lifted the share price

by 1.82 per cent to reach USD 1.12.

Both Malta

International Airport plc (MIA) and Simonds

Farsons Cisk plc were active on two trading sessions. MIA traded on

Thursday and Friday as the equity registered gains of EUR 0.05 during both

sessions, hence closing at EUR 2.50 on the week across three transactions of

4,450 shares. On the other hand, Simonds Farsons Cisk maintained last year’s

closing price of EUR 1.70 as 11,497 shares were traded on five deals.

Meanwhile GO plc started the year on a somewhat quiet tone as the first three

trading sessions saw the equity closing unchanged at EUR 2.10. However,

liquidity soared on Thursday to 41,376 shares, as the equity gained 0.48 per

cent. Yesterday’s session saw the equity gaining a further 1.42 per cent to

reach EUR 2.14 or 1.9 per cent higher on the week.

Similarly MaltaPost plc closed the first two sessions unchanged, while gains

were only recorded during the last two trading sessions. In fact, the postal

service operator closed the week at EUR 0.72, up by 2.86 per cent on the week.

Likewise Crimsonwing plc gained 2.56

per cent as 40,000 shares were traded in a single transaction on Monday,

closing at EUR 0.40.

The only equity to close the week in the

red was International Hotel Investments plc,

having closed 5.63 per cent down at EUR 0.755. On Monday the equity closed

unchanged however lost EUR 0.045 during Thursday’s session. Throughout the

week, five transactions of 25,109 shares were executed.

Island

Hotels Group Holdings plc gained 0.89 per cent as 500 shares were

traded, with the price closing at EUR 1.019. Both Datatrak Holdings plc and Plaza

Centres plc traded during one session as the former registered a gain of EUR

0.083 to reach EUR 0.155, while the latter closed unchanged at EUR 1.63.   

 This

article, which was compiled by Jesmond Mizzi, Managing Director of Jesmond

Mizzi Financial Services Limited (JMFS), does not intend to give investment

advice and the contents therein should not be construed as such.  JMFS is licensed to conduct investment services

by the MFSA. The directors or related parties, including the company, and their

clients are likely to have an interest in securities mentioned in this article.

For further information contact JMFS at 67/3, South Street, Valletta or on Tel:

21224410 or email [email protected].