(Alliance News) - On Friday, as the seventh day of conflict unfolds between Israel, the USA, and Iran, major European markets opened in positive territory, with investors closely monitoring developments in the Middle East.
President Donald Trump has so far ruled out the possibility of sending ground troops to Tehran. The conflict has also spread to other parts of the Middle East, heightening instability in the region.
Another central concern is the Strait of Hormuz, where market participants' anxieties remain extremely high.
Against this backdrop, the Mib is up 0.9% at 45,026.44 points, the Mid-Cap rises 1.3% to 57,065.34, the Small-Cap is up 0.6% at 34,954.18, while Italy Growth is down 0.1% at 8,470.93 points.
Other major European exchanges are also in the green: the CAC 40 is up 0.7%, the DAX 40 up 0.8%, and the FTSE 100 up 0.6%.
On Piazza Affari, Stellantis—up 1.2%—is accelerating the electrification of light commercial vehicles in Europe with a new commercial initiative aimed at reducing one of the main barriers to electric adoption by businesses: price.
Prysmian—up 2.2%—has secured a framework agreement with Alliander for the supply of medium- and low-voltage cables for the development and modernization of the Dutch electricity grid. The eight-year agreement could be worth up to approximately EUR500 million.
Amplifon rebounds to the top of the index with a 4.8% gain to EUR11.025 per share, following a steep 13% drop yesterday.
Fincantieri posts a 2.7% gain, Nexi is up 1.9% after a roughly 17% loss the previous day. Leonardo rises 2.8% to EUR58.26 per share.
Banca Mediolanum—up 0.9%—reported its commercial results for February, with total volumes amounting to EUR1.62 billion. Net total inflows reached EUR1.29 billion for the month, bringing the year-to-date figure to EUR2.01 billion.
Net inflows in managed savings were EUR667 million in February, totaling EUR950 million since the start of the year. The bank also issued new loans totaling EUR313 million for the month, bringing the YTD total to EUR586 million.
At the bottom of the index, MPS is down 1.3% and STMicroelectronics is down 0.9%.
On the Mid-Cap, Avio—up 4.9%—announced that Defense Systems and Solutions has selected the group for the development, qualification, and initial production of a solid-propellant engine for air defense. The contract is valued at around USD65 million over three years.
MFE-MediaForEurope is entering a new phase of its evolution, transitioning from a holding to an operational media company with increasingly international ambitions: MFE A and MFE B shares are both up 1.2%.
Ferretti announced on Thursday that Ferretti International Holding Spa purchased 129,752 ordinary shares of the company. The shares were acquired at an average price of EUR3.7134, for a total value of EUR481,821.08. The stock is up 1.3%.
The board of Italmobiliare—down 3.8%—has approved the financial statements as of December 31, closing the year with a net profit of EUR55.4 million compared to EUR104.8 million in 2024. However, the board has proposed a dividend of EUR1.10 per share, up from EUR0.90 last year.
On the Small-Cap, Edison reported Thursday that it has received notification from QatarEnergy of a force majeure event, specifically the suspension of activities due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Tesmec, up 3.1%, has strengthened its technological positioning by winning two contracts worth a total of EUR71 million with Slovenian railways for the supply of vehicles for railway network maintenance.
OPS Italia falls 4.4% to EUR0.079, while OPS Retail tops the index with a 10% gain to EUR0.0172 per share.
Among SMEs, at CrowdFundMe—where no trades have taken place—board member Giovanni Loser has resigned with immediate effect for personal reasons that prevent him from continuing his role with the commitment and continuity required.
Circle, which has signed a EUR380,000 six-month contract with a logistics hub in southern Italy, is not currently trading.
Borsa Italiana announced that from today, and until further notice, it will not allow the placement of unlimited price orders on E-Globe ordinary shares, which are down 4.7%.
Maps, down 1.7%, has secured a EUR1.3 million contract with the Puglia Region to strengthen and expand technological systems supporting public health prevention campaigns.
In Asia, the Nikkei 225 traded up 0.6% at 55,625.00 points, the Hang Seng closed 1.7% higher at 25,760.50 points, and the Shanghai Composite ended the session up 0.4% at 4,124.19 points.
In New York, during the European evening, the Dow ended the session down 1.6% at 47,954.74, the Nasdaq fell 0.3% to 25,020.41, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.6% to 6,830.71 points.
On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1606 from USD1.1562 at Thursday's European equity close, while the pound is at USD1.3368 from USD1.3300 last night.
Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD85.55 per barrel from USD84.70 per barrel on Thursday evening, while gold is valued at USD5,104.56 an ounce from USD5,066.00 an ounce the previous day.
As for Friday's macroeconomic calendar, at 1200 CET, Germany will release its car registration data.
At 1430 CET, the US will publish unemployment and retail sales figures, and as usual for Friday, the COT Report will be released in the evening.
Among Piazza Affari companies, earnings are expected from Banca Sistema and Beewize.
By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News reporter
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