MIA announces record November traffic

The MSE Equity Price Index eased by 0.15% to 3,672.119 points as the declines in MIA, APS, Lombard, and Mapfre Middlesea outweighed the gains in Farsons and IHI. Meanwhile, four other equities closed unchanged. Download today’s Equity Market Summary.

Malta International Airport plc shed 0.9% to the €5.75 level across two trades totalling 14,630 shares. Following the close of today’s trading, MIA published the November 2023 traffic results. Passenger movements exceeded their relative 2019 figures for the eleventh consecutive month and amounted to 528,923 passenger movements, which is 7.2% above the November 2019 passenger traffic. Passenger movements in November 2023 were also 22% higher than the movements registered in the same month last year. The seat load factor for November 2023 was 84.9%, which is 6.8 percentage points higher than in November 2019. The passenger movements during the eleven-month period ended November 2023 amounted to 7.27 million, representing an increase of 6.5% over the corresponding period in 2019 and 34% above the passenger traffic recorded in the same period last year.

Lombard Bank plc slumped by 11.8% to a two-week low of €0.75 on a single deal of 28,855 shares.

Also in the banking sector, APS Bank plc moved 1.8% lower to a three-week low of €0.55 on two deals totalling 13,738 shares.

Mapfre Middlesea plc shed 5.5% to a one-month low of €1.20 over two trades totalling 5,138 shares.

On the other hand, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc rose by 2.9% to a two-month high of €7.00 across ten deals totalling 9,122 shares.

International Hotel Investments plc rebounded by 5.9% to the €0.466 level, albeit on trivial volumes.

Bank of Valletta plc closed unchanged at the €1.25 level after recovering from an intraday low of €1.23 (-1.6%) across four trades totalling 8,494 shares.

Similarly, BMIT Technologies plc closed unchanged at the €0.40 level after recovering from an intraday low of €0.39 (-2.5%) across three deals totalling 11,500 shares.

Hili Properties plc closed unchanged at the €0.216 level as 6,365 shares changed hands.

Also in the property sector, Malta Properties Company plc held the €0.35 level on muted activity.

The RF MGS Index increased by 0.06% to a fresh eight-month-high of 890.971 points as the gain in prices of long-dated MGS outweighed the declines in shorter-dated MGS. The RF MGS Index surged by 1.40% this week as it moved higher on every trading day. Today, the German 10-year bund yield hovered below 2.20% for the first time since last March as market participants are pricing in expectations of several ECB rate cuts in 2024. European Governing Council Member Francois Villeroy de Galhau remarked in a recent interview that the ECB is likely to keep rates unchanged in the near term but would consider a reduction next year.

This report contains public information only and is not to be construed as investment advice or an offer to buy or sell any securities. Information contained herein is based on data obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but no representations or guarantees are made with regard to the accuracy of the data. Stock markets are volatile and subject to fluctuations which cannot be reasonably foreseen. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Rizzo, Farrugia & Co. (Stockbrokers) Limited is a company licensed to undertake investment services in Malta by the MFSA under the Investment Services Act, Cap. 370 of the Laws of Malta and a member of the Malta Stock Exchange.