Performance of the METRO share

For financial year 2020/21, the development of the stock markets was very volatile, partly due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. After a brief recovery phase in the summer months of 2020, the stock market initially declined. Following the announcement of another lockdown, the DAX, MDAX and SDAX reached their annual lows at the end of October 2020. With 11,457 points, the SDAX recorded its annual low on 28 October 2020. However, the stock markets began to recover when the first reports of successes in vaccine development were announced in November 2020. At the end of 2020, the SDAX closed at 14,765 points. The recovery of the stock markets continued with the gradual easing of government restrictions. In the summer of 2021, the various indices temporarily reached all-time highs. The SDAX peaked on 2 September 2021 with 17,286 points and closed at 16,509 points on 30 September 2021.

These developments were also reflected in the METRO share price. Apart from the development of the Covid-19 pandemic and the recovery of the hospitality industry starting in Q3 2020/21, factors affecting the share price included the change in the shareholder structure. The investor EP Global Commerce (EPGC) increased the share of METRO voting rights to 40.60% in connection with a second voluntary public takeover offer. As a result, the free-float share decreased to 36.34%. This was the key reason for listing the METRO ordinary share in the SDAX after the regular index review by the German stock exchange (Deutsche Börse) in March 2021. Subsequently, Meridian Stiftung and the Beisheim Group also increased their stake from 23.06% to 23.94%, so that the free-float proportion decreased further to 35.46%.

On 30 September 2021, the METRO ordinary share finished with a closing price of €11.24 in Xetra trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. This represents an increase of 32% over the previous year. The operational recovery is also reflected in the share price. At the end of the financial year, the price of the METRO ordinary share was only €0.98 below the pre-pandemic level (on 11 February 2020, the WHO specified Covid-19 as the name for the infectious disease). The preference share traded at €11.40 on 30 September 2021.

Development of the METRO ordinary share (%)