(Alliance News) - On Friday, major European indices opened in negative territory, defying futures indications, after U.S. President Donald Trump postponed a planned strike on Iranian energy infrastructure until April 6 to allow for negotiations, stating that talks with Tehran were proceeding "very well."
Consequently, the FTSE Mib is down 0.5% at 43,500.58, the Mid-Cap is in the red by 0.2% at 52,808.04, the Small-Cap is down 0.4% at 32,347.83, while Italy Growth is fractionally higher at 8,362.28.
London's FTSE 100 is down 0.2%, as is the CAC 40 in Paris, while the DAX 40 is trading 0.6% lower.
In commodities, Brent crude futures rose toward USD110 per barrel, recovering early losses due to skepticism over whether the U.S. and Iran will soon reach an agreement to end the conflict.
According to some sources, the Pentagon is considering the deployment of an additional 10,000 ground troops to the Middle East, while Iran is reportedly mobilizing over one million soldiers in response.
In Europe, natural gas futures rose to EUR56.2 per MWh, extending gains from the previous session, as prospects for a de-escalation in the Middle East war remain uncertain.
Back in Milan, Nexi took the lead, rising 2.5% the day after announcing the appointment of Bernardo Mingrone as CEO and General Manager of the group, replacing Paolo Bertoluzzo.
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is also up, gaining 2.1%. According to press reports, Caltagirone - up 1.4% among mid-caps - could strengthen its stake in MPS, currently at 11.45%, ahead of the shareholders' meeting for the renewal of the board. The rumor is unconfirmed, and any potential increase would remain below 15%.
The group re-entered the capital at the end of 2024 and increased its stake to 11.45% in early February.
Rounding out the top performers is Mediobanca, with a 1.7% gain.
Regarding the towers issue, Inwit - up 0.3% - is reportedly considering a complaint to Consob in its dispute with Fastweb+Vodafone and TIM over master service agreements and the towers joint venture.
The focus is on the proximity between the MSA termination and the JV announcement, as well as the absence of references to the last call right. Fastweb has already sent its termination notice, while TIM is expected to decide over the weekend. Meanwhile, the company is working on an injunction request to the Milan Court to suspend the termination, citing financial risks and high dependency on the two operators, which generate over 85% of revenues.
Among the decliners, Saipem is down 2.3%. STMicroelectronics and Leonardo are also lower, falling 2.0% and 1.6% respectively.
On the Mid-Cap, ENAV - down 0.6% - announced Thursday that it has finalized the acquisition of 85% of AIView Group, a technology company active in drone services and unmanned systems, with a focus on artificial intelligence applied to data collection and analysis.
The consideration amounts to EUR7.6 million, net of contractual adjustments, corresponding to an EV/Ebitda multiple of 7.5 times on a 2025 Ebitda of EUR1.4 million.
Webuild is down 0.4%. The company announced Thursday that the consortium formed by its subsidiary Fisia Italimpianti - with a 40% stake - and Spain's Acciona, has been awarded a EUR111 million project for the functional upgrade of the Naples East treatment plant.
SOL - up 9.4% - closed 2025 with a net profit attributable to the group of EUR167.0 million, up from EUR147.7 million as of December 31, 2024. Consolidated 2025 revenue reached EUR1.78 billion, a 10% increase from EUR1.61 billion the previous year.
On the Small-Cap, Esprinet - down 1.7% - announced it has expanded its service offering and launched Innovexya, a new business unit dedicated to the development and integration of value-added services.
KME Group - yet to trade - announced Wednesday that its subsidiary KME SE has signed a binding contract worth EUR300 million with an affiliate of Apollo Capital Management to finalize the transaction announced on December 23, 2025.
Brioschi - down 0.8% - closed 2025 with a consolidated net profit attributable to the group of EUR5.5 million, reversing a loss of EUR800,000 as of December 31, 2024. 2025 EBITDA stood at EUR3.6 million compared to EUR4 million the previous year.
Gainers include Zucchi, Olidata, and Aeffe, posting gains between 6.5% and 5.4%.
Among SMEs, Metriks AI rose 5.1% after announcing Friday that it closed the 2025 fiscal year with a profit of EUR600,000, doubling from EUR300,000 the year before.
Production value rose 45% to EUR8.3 million from EUR5.7 million in 2024. Sales and service revenues reached EUR7.7 million, up 39% compared to EUR5.5 million on a 2024 pro-forma basis.
Finanza.tech - yet to trade - announced it closed 2025 with a consolidated net loss of EUR2.2 million, compared to a profit of EUR160,000 as of December 31, 2024.
Consolidated revenues stood at EUR3.2 million, down from EUR7.2 million the previous year.
IDNTT, which has not yet traded, announced Thursday that the board approved the launch of a new share buyback and disposal plan, ahead of the expiration of the previous program scheduled for March 28.
The new plan will last 12 months, from March 30 to March 30, 2027, and provides for a maximum total value of EUR3 million, with the possibility of executing transactions in one or more tranches.
Ubaldi Costruzioni announced Thursday that it was awarded, through a temporary association of companies led by Dussmann Service, a three-lot contract with an estimated total value of approximately EUR26.7 million and a duration of 48 months, extendable by another 12. Ubaldi Costruzioni's share is EUR12.7 million. The stock is flat at EUR3.93.
In Asia, the Nikkei closed down 0.4% at 53,373.07, the Shanghai Composite ended up 0.6% at 3,913.72, and the Hang Seng closed up 0.4% at 24,951.88.
In New York, the Dow Jones closed the session down 1.0% at 45,960.11, the Nasdaq lost 2.4% at 21,408.08, and the S&P 500 shed 1.7% at 6,477.16.
On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1523 from USD1.1534 on Thursday evening, while the pound is trading at USD1.3318 from USD1.3337 yesterday evening.
Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD103.45 per barrel from USD108.77 per barrel on Thursday evening, while gold is worth USD4,460.80 per ounce from USD4,438.55 per ounce yesterday evening.
On Friday's economic calendar, the Italian non-EU trade balance is scheduled for 1000 CET, while speeches by FOMC members Barkin and Daly will take place between 1600 CET and 1630 CET.
On the Piazza Affari, results from 28 companies are expected, including Soges, Eles, and Circle.
By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter
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