Shares in budget airline easyJet jumped as much as 11.5% on Tuesday following an Italian media report suggesting possible bid interest from global container shipping giant MSC, according to Reuters.
The report, published by Corriere della Sera, cited unnamed sources claiming MSC could be considering a joint bid with an investment fund for either a stake or full control of the airline, though it emphasized that evaluations were still preliminary.
In response, an MSC spokesperson denied any involvement, telling Reuters: “MSC denies any involvement in this matter.” EasyJet declined to comment on the speculation.
Following the report, easyJet’s shares briefly reached a session high of 517.2 pence, before easing to a 3% gain at 478.9 pence by midday — still marking one of its strongest sessions since early 2023. Trading activity spiked sharply, with 7.8 million shares exchanged within the first two hours, surpassing the total volume of the previous three full sessions combined.
So far this year, easyJet shares are down 14%, compared to a 1.4% decline in the broader European travel and leisure index.
The speculation echoes MSC’s previous foray into aviation in 2022, when the Geneva-headquartered group, controlled by the Aponte family, partnered with Lufthansa in a potential bid for ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia. MSC, which operates across freight, logistics, and passenger transport through MSC Cruises and Grandi Navi Veloci, had then sought synergies between cargo and passenger operations.
Commenting on the latest rumors, Bernstein analyst Alex Irving noted: “While the industrial logic in a combination between MSC and Europe’s second-largest point-to-point airline is not obvious to us, could there be a break-up play?”
