(Alliance News) - Major European stock markets on Tuesday confirmed expectations and opened in the green on a day enlivened by the release of a series of macroeconomic data and the first banking quarterly reports in Piazza Affari.

Thus, the FTSE Mib opens in the green by 0.6 percent to 34,194.15, the Mid-Cap is in the green by 0.5 percent to 47,877.15, as is the Small-Cap to 29,145.99, while Italy Growth is up by 0.1 percent to 8,261.30.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 is in the green by 0.5 percent, London's FTSE100 is up 1.1 percent, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is up 1.0 percent.

In macroeconomic news, factory orders in Germany fell 0.4 percent month-on-month in March, following a downwardly revised 0.8 percent decline in February and doing worse than market forecasts for a 0.4 percent increase.

On the other side of the world, the Reserve Bank of Australia signaled that it kept its liquidity rate unchanged at 4.35 percent at its May meeting, as widely expected.

The interest rate in Australia averaged 3.86 percent from 1990 to 2024, reaching an all-time high of 17.50 percent in January 1990 and an all-time low of 0.10 percent in November 2020.

The central bank maintained borrowing costs for the fourth time since the last hike in November 2023, recognizing that returning inflation to target is unlikely to be easy.

On the Mib, UniCredit does best of all and rises 1.9 percent, after announcing Tuesday that it closed the first quarter with net income of EUR2.6 billion, up about 24 percent from EUR2.1 billion as of March 31, 2023.

Net revenues stood at EUR6.4 billion, up 7.0 percent from the first quarter of 2023, when they were EUR5.9 billion. This performance was supported by net interest income of EUR3.6 billion from EUR3.3 billion and fees of EUR2.1 billion from EUR2.0 billion.

Also going up is Amplifon, up 1.4 percent after the board of directors on Monday approved its interim report for the year ended March 31, which closed with a net profit on a recurring basis of EUR35.7 million, up 2.2 percent from EUR34.9 million reported in the first quarter of 2023.

Intesa Sanpaolo rises 0.2 percent. The bank announced Friday that it reported first-quarter profit of EUR2.30 billion for the year, up 18 percent from EUR1.96 billion and in line with its EUR8 billion target for the year.

Following the release of the quarterly report, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena gave up 0.7 percent. The company reported net income of EUR332.7 million for the first quarter of the year, up 41% from EUR235.7 million as of March 31, 2023.

Total revenues were EUR1.01 billion, up 15 percent from EUR878.9 million in Q1 2023. Net interest income as of March 31 is EUR587 million, up 16 percent from EUR504.5 million in 2023.

On the day results for the first quarter are expected, FinecoBank sits on the bottom and gives up 1.6 percent, preceded by Italgas, down 1.2 percent.

On the Mid-Cap, Anima Holding -- up 2.8 percent and best on the list -- reported Monday that its board of directors approved the consolidated interim report as of March 31 and a new EUR40 million buyback program. Thus, in the first quarter, the group posted a profit of EUR52.9 million, up 75 percent from EUR30.2 million in the first quarter of 2023. The consolidated results, the company says, include the contribution of Castello SGR, acquired in July 2023.

Caltagirone shareholders -- in the green by 0.4 percent -- approved the accounts Monday and appointed board members, who will serve for the three-year period 2024-2026.

Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, Alessandro Caltagirone, Azzurra Caltagirone, Francesco Caltagirone, Nobile Francesca Comello, Saverio Caltagirone, Mario Delfini, Elena de Simone, Sarah Moscatelli and Filomena Passeggio join the board.

Webuild -- in the red by 0.3 percent -- let it know that it has submitted a pro bono project with its U.S. subsidiary Lane to rebuild Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed last March causing the loss of numerous lives and severing a vital link between the city's port and the Atlantic Ocean.

On the Small-Cap, Bologna's Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi is not yet affected by the exchanges. The company reported Monday that there were 980,834 passengers in April, up 12 percent year-on-year.

Safilo Group is flat at EUR1.17 per share. The company announced Thursday that it has signed a perpetual license agreement with Authentic Brands Group for Eyewear by David Beckham, replacing the previous contract that expires at the end of 2030. Under the new agreement, Safilo will continue to manage the entire value chain, from the design phase, a creative process led by David Beckham, to production and global distribution.

Among SMEs, Arterra Bioscience is flat at EUR2.10 per share. The company on Monday disclosed that in the first quarter of the year it increased revenues by 26 percent to EUR1.1 million from EUR862,870 as of March 31, 2023.

SolidWorld Group--green by 1.9 percent--announced Tuesday that it has signed a binding agreement to fully acquire Due Pi Greco Srl, a company based in Resana, Treviso, that specializes in product design, engineering, additive manufacturing, and 3D printing of high-performance industrial components.

The price, set at EUR700,000, will be paid to the selling shareholders partly in cash and partly through the allocation of SolidWorld Group shares resulting from a reserved capital increase or, alternatively, through the transfer of treasury shares already held in the company's portfolio. The transaction is expected to be finalized by 2024.

Simone rises 8.5 percent after it reported Tuesday that it closed fiscal year 2023 with a profit of EUR1.2 million up from EUR737,000 a year earlier.

Production value amounted to EUR18.9 million from EUR16.5 million in 2022, up 15 percent, thanks to strong growth in the professional legal segment.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed up 1.6 percent, the Hang Seng gave up 0.5 percent, and the Shanghai Composite closed up 0.2 percent.

In New York on Monday, the Dow closed in the green 0.5 percent to 38,852.27, the Nasdaq rose 1.2 percent to 16,349.25 while the S&P 500 finished up 1.0 percent to 5,180.74.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0765 from USD1.0778 on Monday in European equities closing while the pound was worth USD1.2539 from USD1.2573 on Monday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD83.40 a barrel from USD83.47 a barrel Monday evening and gold trades at USD2,327.10 an ounce from USD2,322.79 an ounce Monday evening.

Tuesday's macroeconomic calendar features Eurozone retail sales to be released at 1100 CEST.

In the afternoon, eyes are on the EIA's short-term energy estimates while, at 2230 CEST, the day closes with data on weekly U.S. oil inventories.

Among companies, several quarterly reports are expected, including Antares Vision, Banco BPM, Campari, Ferrari, FinecoBank and Safilo.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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