(Alliance News) - European futures point to a positive opening, bolstered by improving geopolitical sentiment. The market is pricing in cautious optimism regarding a potential deal between the US and Iran that would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Furthermore, the monetary policy framework remains stable, with the Federal Reserve widely expected to keep rates unchanged in the short term, extending a pause that the market now sees lasting until 2026.
Consequently, the MIB - after closing down 1.4% at 48,207.02 points yesterday evening - is advancing by 230.00 points.
Among other European indices, the CAC 40 is up 7.60 points, the DAX 40 is up 68.00 points, while the FTSE 100 is gaining 9.00 points.
Among the secondary boards, yesterday evening the Mid-Cap fell 1.3% to 58,506.40, the Small-Cap ended the session with fractional losses at 35,547.10, and Italy Growth finished with fractional gains at 8,764.26 points.
On Piazza Affari, yesterday evening, Stellantis, which saw sales drop 1.2%, announced that Leapmotor closed March with over 11,000 registrations in the EU. This represents a 31% increase compared to February and a 754% surge compared to March of the previous year.
Eni - up 2.5% at EUR22.305 - and Repsol expect to begin exporting natural gas from Venezuela by the end of 2031. Bloomberg reported on Monday that the companies reached an agreement with Caracas to revive "a long-stalled project to expand production from a massive offshore field."
Additionally, the company announced a new gas discovery at the Geliga-1 exploration well, drilled in the Ganal block in the Kutei basin, approximately 70 km off the coast of East Kalimantan, offshore Indonesia.
Terna, which finished the session up 1.0%, announced that Stefano Cappiello resigned from the company's board, effective May 5. Cappiello is leaving as the Ministry of Economy and Finance has nominated him for Eni's board of directors.
Saipem, with daily gains of 3.2%, signed the main contract with Eni Industrial Evolution for the construction of the new biorefinery in Priolo, Sicily. The contract, with a total value of approximately EUR700 million upon completion, sets a deadline for the end of 2028 and includes Engineering, Procurement, and Construction activities.
Today saw Banca Popolare di Sondrio definitively join BPER Banca - which closed down 0.4% - completing the integration process started in 2025.
The group becomes one of the leading national players, with 23,000 employees, 2,000 branches, and over EUR420 billion in assets, strengthening its presence in the country's most productive regions.
Lottomatica closed at the bottom of the basket with a 4.7% decline to EUR26.46 per share.
On the Mid-Cap, Acea - with gains of 1.2% - finalized the acquisition of Aquanexa from Algebris Investments through its subsidiary a.Quantum. The economic value of the transaction in terms of Enterprise Value for 100% of Aquanexa, based on the current perimeter, is approximately EUR205 million.
MAIRE completed the placement of a new EUR185 million sustainability-linked Schuldschein loan, a private placement regulated by German law. The stock traded down 0.6%.
The government has drawn a firm line on Pirelli: Sinochem's Chinese presence is no longer compatible with the geopolitical and industrial context. Under Golden Power regulations, the rights of the 34% shareholder have been drastically reduced, effectively turning the stake into a purely financial holding. The stock was bearish, down 0.6% at EUR6.15 per share.
Webuild hit the bottom of the list with a 3.6% drop to EUR2.598 per share.
On the Small-Cap, the board of Seri Industrial - which closed up 7.2% - approved the 2025 financial statements over the weekend, showing a consolidated profit of EUR13.6 million compared to EUR24.6 million in 2024.
Adjusted consolidated profit stood at EUR15.4 million, an increase of EUR18.6 million compared to 2024.
The Italian Sea Group recorded a double-digit performance with a 34% surge to EUR2.10 per share.
Francesco Casoli, chairman of Elica - up 0.8% - is calling for a European steel supply chain to rebalance competition: currently, most household appliances sold in Italy are imported from outside the EU, without the same burdens that weigh on raw materials.
In an interview, he stated that without intervention, European industry risks a slowdown.
Ratti shed 7.1% to EUR1.17 per share.
Among SMEs, Pattern - with daily gains of 1.5% - announced that the shareholders' meeting, in addition to approving the buyback plan and the financial statements as of December 31, 2025, resolved on the new board composition.
Consequently, the company approved the list of candidates presented by the majority shareholder Bo.Ma Holding, appointing Francesco Martorella as chairman of the board of directors.
Siav, which ended the session up 3.4%, signed a binding agreement to acquire 9.1% of the share capital of Atacod, an innovative start-up owning an AI software solution developed for business process automation.
Friends, down 1.2%, announced it has finalized the acquisition of 100% of PMG Italia, an operator active in accessible mobility and high social impact services.
Casta Diva Group, up 0.3%, through G2 Eventi, an agency specialized in event design and production, won a EUR2.5 million tender for the conception, design, and execution of the opening and closing ceremonies of the XX Mediterranean Games.
In New York - during the European evening - the Dow Jones closed slightly below parity, the Nasdaq shed 0.3%, and the S&P 500 retreated 0.2%.
Among Asian markets, the Nikkei is up 0.9%, the Shanghai Composite is down 0.1%, while the Hang Seng is gaining 0.4%.
On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1774 from USD1.1784 on Monday evening, while the pound is trading at USD1.3523 from USD1.3535 yesterday evening.
Among commodities, as mentioned, Brent crude is up at USD94.58 per barrel from USD95.07 per barrel on Monday evening, while gold is worth USD4,778.64 per ounce from USD4,804.62 per ounce yesterday evening.
Tuesday's economic calendar includes the ZEW survey on German economic sentiment at 1100 CEST.
From 1415 CEST, the focus shifts to the US with employment data, followed by retail sales at 1430 CEST.
On Piazza Affari, results are expected from Moncler, Saipem, Ubaldi, and Compagnia dei Caraibi.
By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News reporter
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