The equity of Malta International Airport experienced a surge in activity today as a total of 182,638 shares changed hands.
The share price edged a further one per cent higher to yet another new high of €3.05. MIA’s equity was in the limelight over the past few days following the publication of record figures for the financial year ended December 31.
The airport operator registered a 15 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to €26.1 million during 2014 and the directors recommended a 77.8 per cent increase in the final gross dividend to 12c31 per share (to all shareholders as at the close of trading on April 16).
The share prices of the two large banks also performed positively today. Bank of Valletta failed to hold on to an intra-day high of €2.14 and retreated back to the €2.12,1 level which still represents a minimal increase over the previous closing price. A total of 22,652 shares changed hands today across 11 trades.
Similarly, HSBC edged 0.5 per cent higher to regain the €1.89 level on volumes of just over 32,500 shares. Shareholders as at close of trading on March 18 will be entitled to the final gross dividend of 2c6 per share.
Tigné Mall’s equity also edged 0.1 per cent higher to reach a fresh record of 70c1 albeit on shallow volumes of 1,200 shares. Similarly, Simonds Farsons Cisk inched minimally higher to also reach a new all-time high of €3.20,1 albeit on just 624 shares.
Likewise, the equity of Middlesea Insurance closed this morning’s session in positive territory with a two per cent uplift to a fresh 2015 high of €1.03 on volumes of 5,492 shares. The company is scheduled to publish its 2014 full-year results on March 11.
The only other positive performing equity was Grand Harbour Marina with a 0.6 per cent increase to regain the €1.76 level across a single trade of 1,430 shares.
Meanwhile, GO ended the session unchanged at the €2.73 level across five deals totalling 9,900 shares. GO announced this morning that its 2014 financial statements will be published next Tuesday.
International Hotel Investments also closed the day unchanged as a further 1,000 shares traded at the €0.65 level.
Overall, the share index gained 0.3 per cent to a nine-month high of 3,473.828 points.
On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index continued to rise to reach yet another all-time high of 1,134.453 points although Eurozone yields continued to inch higher to just above the 0.36 per cent level.
Nonetheless, benchmark yields in Europe are still close to their all-time lows as the European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to publish further details on its €60 billion a month stimulus package later on this week.
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