Daily Market Highlights (09.12.15)

  • The MSE Share Index trended higher for the second consecutive session this week with an increase of a further 0.4% to yet another 7-year high of 4,514.636 points largely reflecting the uplift in the share price of Malta International Airport plc. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the RF MGS Index rebounded by 0.6% to 1,142.380 points as the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield slipped back below the 0.6% level as last week’s disappointment continued to subside following Mr Mario Draghi’s (President of the European Central Bank) speech on Friday evening during which he reassured markets that the ECB will do whatever it takes to support the region’s economy. Yields were also pressured lower by inflation concerns triggered by a renewed slump in the oil price.
  • This morning Bank of Valletta plc announced that it received submissions from over 2,600 applicants for a value of €113 million compared to the €75 million on offer. The Bank will be announcing its allocation policy on Monday 14 December.
  • MIA’s equity advanced by 1.3% to regain its all-time high of €4.05 albeit on shallow volumes of 600 shares. Yesterday the airport operator published its November traffic results revealing a 10.6% increase in passenger movements to 283,511 passengers on the back of a 9.4% rise in seat capacity as well as an improved seat load factor of 81.3% compared to 80% in November 2014. During the eleven-month period between January and November 2015, MIA registered a 7.6% increase in passenger movements when compared to the same period last year on the back of a 5.6% increase in seat capacity. In July, MIA had revised upwards its passenger forecast for 2015 to +4.6% to an estimated throughput of 4.5 million passengers.
  • Similarly, Malita Investments plc regained its all-time high of €0.99 across a single trade of 2,000 shares.
  • Also in the property sector, the share price of Malta Properties Company plc jumped 7.7% higher to regain the €0.56 level also on low volumes of 12,700 shares.
  • Mapfre Middlesea plc also closed in positive territory with an 8% jump to the €2.29 level on volumes of 7,850 shares.
  • On the other hand, following last week’s 1.7% drop, GO plc’s share price shed a further 1.7% to the €2.901 level across seven deals totalling 42,040 shares.
  • The equity of RS2 Software plc also trended lower during today’s session with a 0.6% decline from its all-time high of €3.12 back to the €3.10 level on a single trade of 25,000 shares.
  • The only other negative performing equity was FIMBank plc as its share released some of the recent gains with a marginal 0.7% drop back to the USD0.70 level.
  • Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc maintained the €2.335 level after the equity rebounded from an intra-day low of €2.305 across eight deals totalling just below 12,000 shares. The Bank is scheduled to hold its Annual General Meeting on Thursday 17 December during which shareholders will be asked to approve a number of resolutions including those related to the dividend and bonus share issue as well as the election of six directors from the seven nominees.
  • Amongst the large cap equities, International Hotel Investments plc also closed this morning’s session unchanged at the €0.815 level across a single trade of 2,069 shares.
  • Medserv plc shares also closed today’s session unchanged at the €2.12 level after failing to hold on to its all-time high of €2.17 on very low volumes of 1,649 shares. Today the Malta Stock Exchange confirmed the issuance of 20 million new shares pursuant to 4 for 5 bonus issue following approval by shareholders during the recent extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held last Thursday. Furthermore, the Company distributed the recently declared net interim dividend of €0.08 per share.
  • MaltaPost plc continued to trade at the €1.97 level on shallow activity of 3,753 shares. Last Friday the postal operator published its preliminary results for the financial year ended 30 September 2015 revealing a record pre-tax profit of €3.4 million largely reflecting the growing volumes of international mail services, registered mail, parcels and packets. The Directors recommended the payment of a final net dividend of €0.04 per share to all shareholders at the close of trading on 14 December. Shareholders will have the option to take up the dividend either in cash or in new shares at the attribution price of €1.80.