The MSE Equity Total Return Index oscillated between positive and negative ground as it cancelled almost a quarter of last week’s advancement, closing 0.485% lower at 8,633.894 points.  Half of the 20 active equities closed in the red, while only three headed north – with RS2 Software plc shares registering the strongest performance while all four listed banks closed lower. A total of 229 deals managed to generate a total turnover of €1.965million.

FIMBank plcshares registered the weakest performance among its peers as five transactions amounting to 100,000 shares on Friday saw the equity slip by 4.6% to close at $0.52.

HSBCBank Malta plc shares followed suit as 11 deals generating a total turnover of €49,408 saw the equity close 1.1% lower at €1.81.

Likewise, Bank of Valletta plc (BOV) and Lombard Bank plc shares also closed lower as both equities closed 0.6% and 0.9% lower at €1.75 and €2.28 respectively. A total of 215,946 shares changed hand in BOV shares across 73 deals, while seven deals were executed in Lombard on 54,851 shares.

RS2 Software plcshares notched the best performance during the week as the equity recovered 9.7% of its share price to close the week at €1.25 – hitting a five-week high. A total of 23 transactions managed to generate a turnover of €219,723.

Telecommunications company GO plc closed flat at €3.40 despite trading six times during the week generating a total turnover of €67,354.

In the property sector, Trident Estates plc shares outperformed its peers as the equity closed 0.8% higher at €1.31. Meanwhile, Malita Investments plc shares registered the weakest performance in this sector during the week to close 2.4% lower at €0.83.

Three trades totalling 21,100 shares of Malta Properties Company plc managed to erase 1.8% of the equity’s value, to close the week at €0.54.

On Wednesday, the company held their Annual General Meeting where all the Ordinary Resolutions on the agenda were approved, and the Board of Directors were appointed and/or elected.

Elsewhere, MIDI plc, Tigne Mall plc and Plaza Centres plc shares closed the week flat at €0.42, €0.95 and €1.04 respectively. All three experienced high volume turnover with MIDI leading the way at 370,000 shares, while trading in Tigne and Plaza exceeds 100,000 shares.

In the oil and gas industry, Medserv plc shares only recorded two trades on Friday moving the equity’s price by 2.9% to close the week at €1.02.

Retail conglomerate, PG plc shares managed to bounce back from Thursday’s negative session, as three trades amounting to 75,000 shares on Friday were enough to see the equity close 0.8% in the black at €1.30.

International Hotel Investments plc shares closed the week in the red by 1.4% at €0.685. A total of 17 transactions managed to generate a total turnover of €38,315.

Malta International Airport plc shares were active all week, but four trades on Friday amounting to 4,450 shares managed to tilt the equity’s price into negative ground by 1.4% at €4.98. A total of 17,494 shares changed hands on 14 deals. 

Likewise, a single trade on Friday of 2,920 shares managed to shave 2.9% off the price of Maltapost plc shares, closing at €1.70.

Meanwhile, Mapfre Middlesea plc, Global Capital plc, and Simonds Farsons Cisk plc shares were active but remained unchanged at €1.90, €0.34 and €6.70 respectively.

In the local sovereign debt market, a total of 23 issues of which the absolute majority amounting to 15 headed south, while the remaining eight gained ground. The 4.65% Malta Government Stock 2032 (I) fully erased last week’s positive performance as it declined by 0.6% to close the week at €136.31. Meanwhile the 3% Malta Government Stock 2040 (I) recouped most of last week’s decline gaining 0.31%, to close at €116.29.

On the corporate debt front, out of the 41 active issues, 16 closed positive, while 17 headed lower. The 4.5% Hili Properties plc Unsecured Euro 2025 registered a negative performance for the second consecutive week, as it declined by 1.9%, to close at €104. On the other hand, 7.5% Mediterranean Bank plc Subordinated Bonds Euro 2019, added a further 0.5% to its price, to close at €105.49.