The MSE Equity Total Return Index (MSETRX) opened this morning with a slight increase over last Monday’s figures – at 7,862.22, compared to 7,761.13 recorded on the 30th March.
Over the past month, share indices have dropped substantially – with the figure of 9,334, recorded on the 6th March, plunging to a 52-week low of 7,579.978 on the 24th March before rallying slightly - as the economic and social ramifications of COVID-19 have impacted the island.
The first case of coronavirus in Malta was recorded on the 7th March when a 12-year-old who had recently travelled from Italy was found to be positive. The most recent government economic measures were announced on the 24th March, which may explain the conservative upswing recorded on MSETRX following the launch of the aid package.
MSETRX replaced the MSE Equity Index in 2017 and is a methodology which calculates the value of investment in equities through an index. It takes into consideration the price fluctuations of the component shares as well as the dividends companies pay. Currently, its 52-week high stands at 10,009.936.
Overseas, stock markets in Asia and Europe have seen some signs of recovery, after France, Italy and Spain recorded a slowing down of deaths, signalling that the containment measures being implemented are bearing some fruit and that this may have rallied investors’ hopes. In the meantime, the FTSE 100 has opened behind other European indices, following the news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to hospital.
