(Alliance News) - On Tuesday's opening day, Piazza Affari met IG futures forecasts and opened trading down below 33,600. Without momentum, major European stock markets await Eurozone inflation data.

Investors will turn their attention today to comments from European Central Bank officials for more guidance on future eurozone monetary policies.

Thus, the FTSE Mib opens in the red 0.7 percent to 33,521.42, the Mid-Cap in the red 0.2 percent to 46,772.22, the Small-Cap gains 0.1 percent to 26,997.41, and Italy Growth is up 0.2 percent to 7,781.99.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 is in the green by 0.2 percent, Paris' CAC 40 is in the fractional red, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 gains 0.1 percent.

On the currency front, the euro has approached a more than one-year low of USD1.0496, under pressure from the strong dollar and uncertainties related to Donald Trump's political appointments. Markets are watching his decisions, particularly on the choice of Treasury secretary, considering the impact of proposed policies on tariffs and inflation. In Europe, economic weakness is limiting expectations of significant changes in ECB policy. Markets expect another ECB deposit rate cut of 25 basis points in December.

On Piazza Affari's largest-capitalization list, Recordati and Diasorin achieve the best opening performances, rising 0.9 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

The banking sector is hurting after yesterday's session's gains. Banca Popolare di Sondrio is at the bottom of the list, giving up 2.2%. Banco BPM is down 1.7%.

UniCredit gives up 1.4 percent at the start. According to Tuesday's edition of Milano Finanza, the Andrea Orcel-led bank has finalized the intercompany sale of a financial trading division: Germany's HVB has transferred the team specializing in commodities, currency and derivatives trading, previously based in London, to the Italian parent company.

Finecobank also falls, leaving 1.3 percent on the parterre. JP Morgan cut the credit institution's target price to EUR17.10 from EUR17.20 with 'overweight' title.

Terna - up 0.6 percent - reported Monday that in execution of the agreement signed in April 2022 and following the fulfillment of the conditions stipulated in the same, subsidiary Terna Plus Srl completed the third closing for the sale of SPE Transmissora de Energia Linha Verde I SA to CDPQ, a global investment group.

On the Mid-Cap, Digital Value rises 2.6 percent after picking up 4.1 percent in the previous session.

Banco di Desio e della Brianza - down 0.3% at the opening - on Monday reported that it had finalized the closing of the transaction to purchase from Sigla Srl about EUR101 million, for a total of about 7,000 contracts, of loans to private customers secured by salary assignment and delegation of payment.

On the Small-Cap, among the bullish FNM rises 2.8 percent at the opening. The company's board of directors on Monday approved its 2024-2029 strategic plan, with a planned gross investment of EUR1.30 billion, focused on sustainable mobility and renewable energy.

Industrie De Nora is doing well, gaining 3.1 percent at the start. JPMorgan Asset Management cut its short on the stock to 0.46% from 0.59%.

Unidata--up 0.3%--reported Monday that it has signed an agreement with Connecting Europe Broadband Fund to take over 11 percent of ClioFiber, a wholesale operator involved in FTTH network deployment in the gray areas of the Puglia region.

At the tail end of the list, Conafi slips 8.5 percent. In the past month, the stock has given up a total of 12 percent.

Among SMEs, Sciuker Frames is flying - up 15 percent - after it announced Tuesday that it has signed a marketing agreement with UniCredit to offer the bank's customers access to exclusive terms for the installation of made-in-Italy windows and screens at SCK Finestre Stores.

Comal - in the green by 0.8 percent - announced Monday that it has issued a EUR5 million non-convertible, unsecured bond.

The 72-month bond, intended exclusively for professional investors, was fully subscribed in equal portions of EUR2.5 million each by Banco di Desio e della Brianza Spa and Banca Valsabbina Scpa.

Good Edil San Felice, in the green by 10%. The company announced Tuesday that the RTI formed by Fenix Consorzio Stabile Scarl - of which Edil San Felice is part - and AVR Spa, has been awarded a contract worth a total of EUR40.5 million, of which EUR24.3 million is the company's direct responsibility.

The board of ICF - Industrie Chimiche Forestali, in the green by 0.9 percent, on Monday reviewed its consolidated operating results for the first nine months, in which it reported revenues of EUR57.6 million compared to EUR60.3 million in the same period of 2023.

Litix - in the red by 0.8 percent at the start - on Monday announced the start of work on the 6.5-meter-high marble statue dedicated to Sai Baba, worth EUR550,000, which will be the tallest marble statue ever made by a robot and will be made using the new "Robotor One Mega" robot.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed down 1.1 percent, the Hang Seng gained 0.4 percent while the Shanghai Composite finished 0.2 percent in the red.

In New York on Monday, the Dow closed down 0.7 percent, the Nasdaq finished 2.2 percent in the red, and the S&P 500 gave up 1.3 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0581 from USD1.0569 on Monday in closing European equities. The pound is worth USD1.2671 versus USD1.2645 on Monday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD73.12 a barrel from USD72.98 a barrel Monday night. Gold trades at USD2,623.50 an ounce from USD2,610.93 an ounce Monday night.

On Tuesday's macroeconomic calendar, at 1000 CET, from the Eurozone it will be time for the current account balance figure while, at 1100 CET, Bank of England number one Andrew Bailey will give a speech.

Again from the Eurozone, at 1100 CET, it will be the turn of the inflation figure.

At 1430 CET, from the US, release of the data on the construction industry, with permits and new concessions.

At 2230 CET, the weekly oil stocks report will be released.

Among companies, Franchi Umberto Marmi, iVision Tech and Laboratorio Farmaceutico Erfo are scheduled to report.

By Antonio Di Giorgio, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to redazione@alliancenews.com

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