The share index extended yesterday’s gains by a further 0.21 per cent to 4,485.383 points on low volumes. In fact, only €0.09 million worth of shares changed hands today – the lowest level of trading in the last nine trading sessions. Week-on-week, the index gained 0.42 per cent – the third consecutive weekly uplift.
A single deal of 4,140 shares lifted the equity of Malita Investments plc to its highest level in two months of 88c (+2.3 per cent).
HSBC closed at its six-month high of €1.67 (+1.8 per cent) across 3,000 shares.
Also among the large companies, Malta International Airport advanced 0.2 per cent to the €4.27 level albeit on thin volumes. Shortly after the close of today’s trading session, MIA published its September traffic results revealing a 5.8 per cent increase in passenger movements to an all-time high of 531,962 passengers.
The growth in passenger traffic was attributable to a 4.2 per cent increase in seat capacity coupled with a high seat load factor of 87.5 per cent (September 2015: 86.2 per cent).
Between January and September 2016 MIA registered a 7.5 per cent increase in passenger movements to 3.89 million when compared to the same period last year on the back of a 5.3 per cent increase in seat capacity and a 1.7 percentage point increase in the seat load factor to 83.4 per cent.
In July, MIA had revised upwards its passenger growth forecast for 2016 to +7.5 per cent to 4.97 million passengers compared to the previous 2016 forecast of 4.73 million (+2.4 per cent) revealed in January 2016.
Shallow volumes were also recorded in the equity of MIDI which rebounded by 1.6 per cent to 32c5.
In contrast, Malta Properties Company retreated by 1.5 per cent to the 59c level on volumes totalling 56,724 shares.
Bank of Valletta eased 0.4 per cent from its 19-month high of €2.30 to the €2.29 level. A total of 14,860 shares were traded today. BOV’s financial statements as at September 30 will be published by the end of October.
Meanwhile, RS2 Software held on to its four-week low of €1.57 on 7,000 shares.
Similarly, MaltaPost maintained the €1.85 level on trivial volumes.
On the bond market, the RF MGS Index moved lower for the seventh consecutive day as it retreated by a further 0.1 per cent to a near three-week low of 1,167.438 points. Euro zone sovereign bond yields continued to rise today, with the 10-year benchmark German Bund yield advancing to +0.012 per cent from -0.037 per cent yesterday. Week-on-week, the Index shed 0.58 per cent which is the worst weekly performance since late April 2016.
This morning, the Treasury announced the issue of two new Malta Government Stocks for a total aggregate amount of €100 million subject to an over-allotment option of up to a further €60 million.
The two new issues are the 1.5 per cent MGS 2022 (IV) FI and the 2.1 per cent MGS 2039 (I). The issue prices of both securities will be determined on TOctober 13 in the afternoon. Subscriptions open on October 17.
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