The share price of Malta International Airport plc rose by 1 per cent closing at a new record high of €1.95 on renewed demand for the equity.

This was in response to the publication of the April 2013 traffic statistics on Monday afternoon which revealed an increase of 8.9 per cent in passenger movements – a new record for the month of April.

MIA’s share price has gained 8.3 per cent year-to-date.

Bank shares were volatile today with the equities of the two large retail banks moving in opposite directions. Bank of Valletta plc dropped six per cent to a 2013 low of €2.10 with a total of 48,441 shares changing hands as all outstanding bids in the market at the €2.10 level were satisfied.

BOV’s equity yesterday turned ex-dividend and the interim gross dividend of 6c per share (3c9 per share after tax) will now be paid on May 24. On the other hand, HSBC Bank Malta plc’s share price advanced by 3.8 per cent to €2.71 on increased volumes amounting to 30,383 shares.

The six per cent drop in BOV’s equity and smaller declines in GO plc and FIMBank plc outweighed gains in the other equities leading to a 0.44 per cent decline in the MSE Share Index to 3,338.214 points.

GO plc’s equity eased 1.3 per cent lower to €1.57 on low volumes. Yesterday the company held its annual general meeting and the final dividend of 10c net per share will be distributed to all shareholders on Friday.

FIMBank plc shed one per cent to US$1.00,1 on a single trade of 20,000 shares.

Elsewhere, RS2 Software plc and MaltaPost plc closed the day unchanged. RS2 held on to its all-time high of €1.02 with a further 10,333 shares changing hands and MaltaPost continued to trade at €1.05 on increased volumes of 55,656 shares in anticipation of the publication of the interim results due shortly.

On the bond market, the Rizzo Farrugia MGS Index continue to trade in a volatile fashion this week with a drop of 0.46 per cent to 1,018.818 points as eurozone yields edged higher reflecting the heavy demand for Portugal’s 10-year debt auction – the first government bond issue since the bailout two years ago.

Eurozone bond prices also declined as a result of the unexpected rise in German industrial output data published this morning.

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