(Alliance News) - On Tuesday, European markets accelerated after the opening bell, extending the rally seen in the previous session.
On the macroeconomic front, French inflation registered at 0.3% year-on-year, the lowest level since 2020, a clear sign that could provide further breathing room for equity markets.
The Eurocoin indicator, meanwhile, dipped slightly in January but confirmed the ongoing phase of cyclical expansion in the area, as reported by the Bank of Italy and the Centre for Economic Policy Research on Tuesday. In January, the indicator stood at 0.49, down from 0.52 in December.
Thus, the Mib advanced by 1.0% to 46,458.87 points.
Other markets also posted gains, with the CAC 40 up 0.6%, the DAX 40 rising 1.1%, and the FTSE 100 climbing 0.2%.
Among the smaller indices, the Mid-Cap slipped 0.1% to 60,454.59, the Small-Cap fell 0.7% to 36,876.65, and the Italy Growth index advanced 0.1% to 8,803.41 points.
On the Milan Stock Exchange, Lottomatica surged, positioning itself among the top performers with a 2.0% gain to EUR21.32, marking its third consecutive bullish session.
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena also attracted buyers, gaining 1.9% and positioning itself for its fourth straight bullish candle. The renewal of the board of directors at Monte dei Paschi di Siena is entering its crucial phase, with a vote scheduled at the April 15 shareholders' meeting. The extraordinary meeting is called to approve statutory amendments, including the introduction of the board's own slate.
Initial indications from proxy advisors point to participation above 70%, with funds accounting for about 60% of the free float; the resolution will require a two-thirds majority.
UniCredit - topping the charts with a 2.2% rise - announced Tuesday that it had purchased, between January 26 and 30, 1.9 million of its own ordinary shares at an average price of EUR72.9585, for a total value of EUR135.3 million.
Leonardo, meanwhile, advanced 1.5% to EUR56.78. Notably, Barclays raised its target price to EUR53.00 from EUR52.00.
Additionally, the Italian company and Adani Defence & Aerospace announced Tuesday the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. According to the press release, this agreement will see the two partners establish an integrated industrial ecosystem for helicopters in India, meeting the growing demand from the domestic military market and supporting the country's drive for self-sufficiency in helicopter manufacturing.
In the mid-cap segment, Technoprobe rose 3.5% to EUR16.04 per share, rebounding from a 0.7% loss in the previous session.
MAIRE - up 0.7% - announced Tuesday that Tecnimont and Baker Hughes have signed a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding to explore cooperation opportunities on modular and scalable liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects worldwide. According to the press release, the two companies will evaluate several LNG initiatives incorporating Baker Hughes' NMBL LNG modular solution for liquefaction projects.
Juventus Football Club - down 1.3% - announced Monday it had reached an agreement with Bologna FC 1909 for the temporary, free acquisition, until June 30, of the rights to footballer Emil Alfons Holm. The deal also gives Juventus the option to acquire Holm's rights on a permanent basis.
PharmaNutra - flat at EUR62.10 - remains one of TP ICAP Midcap's Top Picks, with the broker reiterating its 'buy' recommendation and an unchanged target price of EUR74.00, representing an upside potential of 17% from current prices. The rating reflects SiderAL's strong operational momentum, which continues to strengthen its presence in the USA at the start of 2026. The stock has a market capitalization of EUR601.2 million and a free float of about 34.25%.
In terms of valuation, the P/E ratio is estimated at 31.1x for 2025 and 25.1x for 2026, while the EV/sales ratio stands at 4.46x for 2025 and 3.8x for 2026.
On the Small-Cap index, Aeffe advanced 4.3%, recovering from a 2.5% loss in the previous session, with shares trading around EUR0.26 each.
Sabaf - flat at EUR3.65 - announced Monday it had purchased 8,260 of its own ordinary shares between January 26 and 30. The shares were bought at an average price of EUR13.6576 each, for a total value of EUR113,000.
OPS Retail - in a volatility auction - announced Monday that Global Capital Investments had subscribed to the second tranche, worth EUR200,000, of the convertible bond loan of up to EUR14.5 million, as per the December 21, 2025 agreements. In summary, the issuance of the second of 145 tranches provided for under the agreement led to the subscription of 40 bonds with a unit value of EUR5,000, at an issue price equal to 100% of nominal value.
SIT, on the other hand, dropped 5.4% to EUR2.45 per share, following a 1.9% loss in the previous session.
Among SMEs, Digitouch advanced 4.5%, rebounding from an 8.9% loss the previous day.
DigiTouch also moved up 3.9%, following a 2.7% gain the previous day. The stock, with a market capitalization of about EUR6.3 million, is estimated on the MarketScreener platform with a P/E ratio of 15x for 2025.
Ecomembrane - up 1.6% - announced Monday it had signed a partnership agreement with Lucky-Tech Membranes Private, a leading Indian company specializing in the construction of tensile structures and PVC storage systems, aimed at developing joint synergies and sharing know-how and technologies.
Doxee - up 2.1% - reported that the board had reviewed preliminary 2025 financials, closing with sales revenues between EUR30.7 million and EUR31.0 million, up over 15% from EUR26.5 million in 2024, thanks mainly to strong performance in the DACH region and positive results in the Italian market, supported by repositioning in the top enterprise segment.
In New York, during the European evening, the Dow Jones gained 1.1%, the S&P 500 rose 0.5%, while the Nasdaq advanced 0.6%.
Among Asian markets, the Nikkei closed up 3.9%, the Shanghai Composite was up 1.3%, and the Hang Seng showed a 0.2% gain.
On the currency front, the euro was trading at USD1.1809 from USD1.1802 at Monday's European equities close, while the pound traded at USD1.3684 from USD1.3648 Monday evening.
Among commodities, Brent crude traded at USD66.07 per barrel from USD66.12 on Monday, while gold was valued at USD4,933.75 an ounce from USD4,675.45 an ounce Monday evening.
On Tuesday's economic calendar, at 0900 CET the European Central Bank's bank lending survey is due. In the US, at 1510 CET the consumer economic optimism index will be released, while at 1700 CET Italian car registrations for the year and month will be published.
On the Milan Stock Exchange, results are expected from Banca Mediolanum and Intred.
By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News Reporter
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