The share price of Malta International Airport plc climbed 0.5% higher to close at a new all-time high of €2.06 albeit on low volumes of 1,000 shares on the stock exchange today.

The airport operator is shortly expected to publish the June traffic results. During the first five months, MIA registered a 9% increase in passenger movements to 1,314,635 when compared to the same period of 2012 on the back of a 7.2% increase in seat capacity to 1.78 million seats as well as a 1.2 percentage point increase in the seat load factor to 73.8%.

In the meantime, this afternoon, the airport operator announced that its interim financial statements covering the six months ended 30 June 2013 will be published on 7 August.

RS2 Software plc shares also ended the day in positive territory as a single deal of 12,000 shares was executed at the €1.28 level representing a marginal increase over the previous close.

New bids also emerged for Island Hotels Group Holdings plc lifting the equity 5.4% higher to regain the €0.59 level across 5,000 shares.

On the other hand, the share price of HSBC Bank Malta plc shed 1.5% to the €2.70 level on low volumes of 1,330 shares. Similarly, Simonds Farsons Cisk plc reversed most of yesterday’s 1.5% gain with a 1.1% dip back to the €2.77 level on a deal of 504 shares.

GO plc also trended lower with a minimal decline to the €1.529 level across three deals totalling 3,000 shares.

Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc held on to the €2.27 level on volumes of just over 18,000 shares. Likewise, a further 1,000 Middlesea Insurance plc shares changed hands at the €0.85 level.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index moved 0.2% higher to regain the 1,021.846 points level as Eurozone yields slipped back to 1.65%. The downturn in the benchmark 10-year German Bund yield was caused by the renewed political crisis in Portugal which threatens to derail the country’s recovery. Markets are also concerned by the rising tensions and conflicts in Egypt.

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