Daily Market Highlights (09.10.2017)

  • The MSE Equity Price Index closed today’s trading session virtually unchanged at 4,676.757 points as the drops in MIA, Lombard and Santumas were offset by the gains in BOV and IHI. Trading in MIA and BOV accounted for almost all the activity that took place on the equity market today. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • The RF MGS Index extended last Friday’s gains by a further 0.24% to 1,122.742 points. Euro zone sovereign yields dropped notably today (bond prices gained) amid renewed geopolitical tensions on the Korean peninsula. On the economic front, investor confidence in the euro zone area surged to a fresh ten-year high. Moreover, industrial production in Germany increased by a better-than-expected 2.6% in August from the previous month – the fastest pace of increase in seven months.
  • Malta International Airport plc eased minimally to the €4.549 level on eight deals totalling 102,650 shares with the large majority of trades taking place at the €4.60 level. This afternoon, the airport operator published the September 2017 traffic results revealing a 16.7% increase in passenger movements compared to September 2016 – a record for the month of September and the third consecutive month in which passenger movements surpassed the 600,000 mark. The growth registered in September 2017 was due to the 17.0% increase in seat capacity whilst the seat load factor remained constant at 86.7%. During the period between January and September 2017, MIA welcomed 4.63 million passengers, representing a 19% increase over the previous corresponding period. In July, the airport operator updated its 2017 passenger growth forecast to 5.8 million passenger movements (representing a growth of between 14% and 16%).
  • Lombard Bank Malta plc and Santumas Shareholdings plc also trended lower today. Lombard shed 3.5% back to the €2.20 level albeit on a single deal of just 752 shares and Santumas retreated by 0.6% to the €2.176 level across 5,210 shares.
  • Bank of Valletta plc continued to trade within a tight range as the equity gained 0.1% to the €2.109 level on healthy volumes totalling 139,993 shares.
  • Also among the large companies by market capitalisation, International Hotel Investments plc advanced by 0.7% to the €0.604 level on thin volumes of 1,000 shares.
  • Low trading activity also took place in the equities of HSBC Bank Malta plc, MIDI plc and Simonds Farsons Cisk plc which closed flat at €1.90, €0.31 and €9.47 respectively.