MSE Equity Price Index rebounds on heightened activity   

 

The MSE Equity Price Index erased yesterday’s losses as it added 0.94% to a 2-week high of 3,638.246 points. The gains in five companies outweighed the losses in GO, Lombard and Tigné. Meanwhile, four other equities closed unchanged as overall trading activity in equities surged to a 3-month high of €0.41 million. Download today’s equity market summary.

Malta International Airport plc surged by 6.2% to an over 1-month high of €6.00. A total of 8,684 shares changed hands. Yesterday, the company announced that it welcomed 316,713 passengers in March 2022 which although is considerably higher than the volume of traffic registered in the corresponding period in 2021 (32,033 passenger movements) and 2020 (169,389 passenger movements), last month’s figure is still 33.7% lower than the total of 477,533 passengers welcomed in March 2019. In aggregate, MIA welcomed 672,965 passengers in the first three months of the year compared to 98,495 in Q1 2021, 1 million in Q1 2020, and 1.2 million during the same period in 2019. Accordingly, passenger traffic in Q1 2022 stood at 56% of the volume handled during the same period prior to the outbreak of the pandemic.

Also among the large companies my market value, HSBC Bank Malta plc added 2.5% to the €0.82 level across 99,020 shares.

Simonds Farsons Cisk plc climbed by 2.5% to an over 3-week high of €8.20 across four trades totalling 865 shares.

Within the property segment, Malita Investments plc (25,317 shares) and Malta Properties Company (55,472 shares) both added 3.9% to the €0.79 and €0.53 level respectively. MPC shareholders as at close of trading tomorrow (13 April) will be entitled to receive a final net dividend of €0.012 per share.

In contrast, GO plc shed 1.8% to the 3.22 level on four deals totalling 22,050 shares. GO shareholders as at close of trading on 21 April will be entitled to receive a final net dividend of €0.09 per share.

A single deal of 13,760 shares forced the share price of Lombard Bank Malta plc to drop to a near 4-month low of €1.83 across 13,760 shares.

Tigné Mall plc lost 1.4% as it closed at the €0.69 level after opening lower at the €0.62 level (-11.4%). A total of 6,000 shares changed hands. The company is expected to publish its 2021 full-year results on Thursday 14 April 2022.

Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc closed unchanged at the €0.78 level after failing to hold an intraday high of €0.80 (+2.6%) across eight deals totalling 46,413 shares.

Within the retail segment, PG plc (1,100 shares) and M&Z plc (67,052 shares) remained at the €2.24 and €0.75 levels respectively.

BMIT Technologies plc retained the €0.50 level on four deals totalling 67,985 shares. Shareholders as at close of trading on 20 April will be entitled to receive a final net dividend of €0.02497 per share.

The RF MGS Index continued to trend lower as it shed 0.31% to 1,002.886 points – the lowest level since December 2012. Inflation concerns continued to dominate the international financial markets as the US annual inflation rate surged to 8.5% in March of 2022, which is the highest level since December of 1981. Meanwhile, the eurozone economic sentiment dropped considerably to the lowest level since March 2020.

 

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.