Daily Market Highlights (20.10.11)

  • Local equity market back into positive territory as the 1.3% rise in the share price of IHI lifts the MSE Share Index 0.2% higher to 3,103.426 points. On the other hand, BOV’s equity eased marginally lower whilst the other active equities, including HSBC and MIA, closed unchanged. Download a copy of today’s Equity Market Summary.
  • On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index only inched marginally higher to 985.158 points as Eurozone yields floated around the 2.04% level. Concerns on the eurozone sovereign debt crisis remain rife as media reports reveal divergences between the solutions proposed by Germany and France.
  • IHI initially recovered yesterday’s 3.1% drop as it regained the €0.815 level before a further trade was executed at the €0.80 level. Equity still rises by 1.3% from yesterday’s close.
  • Meanwhile BOV eased a further 0.2% lower to €2.45 ahead of the Bank’s preliminary results publication on Friday 28 October. Seventeen trades totalling almost 30,000 shares executed today with other bids outstanding at the last closing price and lowest offers placed at the €2.455 level.
  • HSBC again closed unchanged at the €2.66 level on volumes of 2,445 shares. Few other offers unsatisfied at the closing price whilst best bids now placed at the €2.641 level.
  • MIA also unchanged at the €1.70 level across three trades totalling 3,900 shares. However lowest offers now placed at the €1.73 level following yesterday’s announcement of an upward revision in the passenger growth forecast. MIA announced that it is increasing its 2011 passenger growth forecast from 3.2% to at least 4.5% following the arrival of the 3 millionth passenger for 2011. This is the second time this year that the airport operator revised its passenger growth forecast upwards as it initially had estimated to maintain the same level of passenger numbers reported in 2010.
  • 6pm shares active for the first time since early August as a single trade of 200 shares was transacted at the GBP0.32 level. No other bids in the market whilst further offers remained unsatisfied at the closing price.
  • Shallow volumes also in Middlesea Insurance plc as only 166 shares changed hands at the €0.92 level. Earlier this month Middlesea announced the results of the Mandatory Bid conducted by Mapfre Internacional. Middlesea revealed that only 780 shareholders holding 3.585% of the total outstanding share capital took up the offer (equivalent to 3,298,200 shares). Further details available here.