Malta Stock Exchange – Weekly Round Up

For the period 31stAugust 2005 to 6thSeptember, 2005

By Jesmond Mizzi

Chairman –Jesmond Mizzi Financial Services

  • HSBC - all time high at Lm6.03
  • BOV has once again reached level to its all time high in March.
  • The MSE Index is up 141 basis points.
  • Maltacom plc was the best performer for the week.
  • FIM Bank best performer as at year to date.

The Malta Stock Exchange Index continued withits increasing trend as experienced during the last week of August. It was a rather active week on the local bourse throughout the first days of September. The MSE index increased by141basis points (+3.80%) over the last five trading days and is now up25.42% since the beginning of the year. The MSE Index closed at 3849.089yesterday.

The result of the positive outcome that the Malta Stock Exchange has been experiencing lately continues to be portrayed in the three largest listed corporates – Bank of Valletta, HSBC and Maltacom. However, FIMBank plc and Lombard Bank plc also remainin the spotlight.

Maltacom has been this week’s best performer together with being the equity seeing the highest demand with the most number of deals (102) and the largest number of nominal shares exchanging hands (202,780). Maltacom has gone up 10.87% (+15c1) as at week on week and now stands at Lm1.54.

Bank of Valletta and HSBC have both performed very well this week with both reaching their all time high. Bank of Valletta has once again reached the Lm5.40 level a price which was reached on the 1st and 2nd of March of 2005. BOV has gone up by a total of 10c0 and now stands 20.27% higher as at year to date. HSBC has gained a total of 23c0 throughout the last five trading days and now stands at Lm6.03. HSBC stands at 3.97% higher as at week on week and 45.78% higher as at year to date. HSBC and BOV also had a good demand throughout this week’s sessions and have seen a total of 92 deals and 78 deals respectively.

FIMBank plc now stands as the best performer as at year to date at 62.44%. Following Maltacom, FIMBank was the next in line for this week’s best performer. As at week on week, FIMBank has increased by 10.34%. Throughout the last five trading sessions, FIMBank’s price has increased by 15c0, and as at yesterday’s closing price, it stands at USD1.60. FIMBank achieved such an increase in its share price in a total of 139,000 nominal shares exchanging hands in just a total of 10 deals. Lombard Bank on the other hand had reached its all time high on Thursday 1st September at Lm6.50. However, equity lost 2c0 from its gain throughout the week and now stands at Lm6.48 and in total; Lombard gained 18c0 throughout the last five days.

Another two gainers for the week have been Datatrak and MaltaInternationalAirport. Datatrak’s price now stands at 1c0 higher than last Wednesday’s opening at 26c0. Datatrak has increased by 4.0% throughout the last five trading days and now stands at 10.17% higher as at year to date. MIA’s price also rose during this week’s trading and now stands 2.13% higher as at week on week. MIA’s closing price was Lm1.39. MIA now stands at 23.01% increase as at year to date.

Three companies saw their share price fall in the last five trading sessions, Global Financial Services Group,Plaza Centres and Simonds Farsons Cisk. Plaza lost a total of 0c9 in its share price and now stands at 59c1 whereas SFC lost a total of 2c8 and now stands at 85c1. As at week on week, Plaza and SFC stand at -1.50% and -3.19% respectively. As at year to date, they also stand in negative territory of 3.90% and 24.02% respectively. The share price of GFSG fell by 1c1 and closed at LM1.319 yesterday on volumes of 6,300 spread over four deals.

During the last five trading sessions there were no deals inSuncrest Hotels, and San Tumas Shareholdings. Whereas Suncrest Hotelsis in positive territory as at year to date of 7.90%,San Tumas Shareholding stands at level as at year to date.

International Hotel Investments and Middlesea Insurance were both traded throughout the last five trading days but closed at the level price of 70c0 and Lm3.12 respectively. IHI saw a total of 2,481 deals exchanging hands in one deal whereas MSI saw a total of 1,793 shares in a total of 3 deals.

Trading in the bond market consisted of a total of 317deals of a total volume of over 389,700nominal shares, whereas trading in the equity market saw a total of 527,637 shares being traded in a total of 66 deals. The total value dealt in equities was Lm1,427,000 whereas that dealt in the corporate bond market was that of Lm35,580. MGS totalled a value of Lm1,439,416.

For further information please call at our offices on 21224410 or email . This article does not intend to give investment advice and the contents therein should not be construed as such. Readers are encouraged to seek professional advice regarding their personal financial situation. The value of investments can go down as well as up. Past performance is no guarantee for future performance. Jesmond Mizzi Financial Services Limited, its directors, the author of this report, other employees or clients of the company may have or have had an interest in the securities mentioned herein. Jesmond Mizzi Financial Services Limited is licensed to conduct investment services by the Malta Financial Services Authority.

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