Heightened activity in Farsons shares

The MSE equity price index extended Wednesday's decline as it slipped by a further 0.81% to 3,630.753 points.

The declines in four companies outweighed the gains in M&Z and MPC while APS and MIA traded flat.

Trading activity increased considerably to €0.22 million compared to €0.07 million on Wednesday. Simonds Farsons Cisk plc was the most actively traded equity on Thursday as it eased by 0.6% to the €7.90 level across 17,006 shares having a market value of €0.13 million.

On Wednesday, Farsons published its interim results showing record performance with revenues increasing by 7.6% over its previous high in H1 2019/20 to €57.3 million and net profits surging to just above €7 million.

Farsons also declared a net interim dividend of 4c5 per share which is payable on October 19 to all shareholders as at close of trading on October 3.

PG plc lost 4.5% to the €2.10 level albeit on just 1,100 shares.

In the retail banking sector, HSBC Bank Malta plc tumbled by 5.1% back to the 75c level across 33,555 shares.

Two deals totalling 9,000 shares forced the share price of Bank of Valletta plc to move 1.6% lower to the 90c level.

In contrast, APS Bank plc held on to the 64c level across...