(Alliance News) - Major European indexes continue a bullish trajectory except for the DAX, which reversed as April inflation data are awaited.
Meanwhile, the European Commission reported that the Eurozone Economic Sentiment Indicator fell 0.6 points to 95.6 in April, missing market expectations of 96.9, driven by a sharp drop in confidence among manufacturers, which reached its lowest level since July 2020 to minus 10.5 from minus 8.9 in March.
As a result, the FTSE Mib is up 0.1 percent to 34,275.67, the Mid-Cap advances 0.1 percent to 47,177.12, the Small-Cap gains 0.7 percent to 28,874.41, and Italy Growth rises 0.4 percent to 8,207.64.
In Europe, London's FTSE 100 is in the green by 0.5 percent, Paris' CAC 40 is up 0.1 percent while Frankfurt's DAX 40 gives up 0.1 percent.
On the Mib, A2A Nexi leads the list and advances 3.9 percent and 1.7 percent.
Iveco Group--green by 1.0%--reported Monday that FPT Industrial has signed a global partnership agreement with Longen Power on the export of engines to different regions of the world, starting a new chapter of cooperation.
FPT Industrial is an Iveco Group brand dedicated to the design, manufacture and sale of powertrains and solutions for on-road and off-road vehicles, as well as marine and power generation applications.
Amplifon rises 0.7 percent after announcing Monday that it has completed the acquisition of Hearing Instruments, and Precision Hearing Aid, two companies owned by one of Miracle-Ear's leading franchisees to which about 35 stores in the U.S., the world's largest hearing care market, belong.
The acquired stores are located in Pennsylvania, generate annual sales of about USD20 million and employ about 80 people.
Tenaris gives up 0.5 percent after closing down 7.9 percent. On Thursday the company reported results for the first quarter of the year, which closed with a profit of USD750 million, down from USD1.13 billion in the first quarter of 2023. Revenues increased to USD3.44 billion from USD4.14 billion in the same period.
Among the bearers, Banco BPM, UniCredit, and Moncler sit on the bottom, with declines ranging from 1.2 percent to 0.4 percent.
On the cadet segment, Alerion advances 5.8 percent followed by d'Amico International Shipping up 4.8 percent. The company announced Friday that its Irish operating subsidiary d'Amico Tankers DAC has entered into a construction contract with Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding, China, for the purchase of two additional new LR1 'Long Range' tankers -- 75,000 deadweight tons -- at a contract price of USD56.2 million each.
Ariston Holding gives up 0.1 percent. The company made it known over the weekend that it had viewed the Russian presidential decree signed by President Vladimir Putin On April 26, 2024--by which subsidiary Ariston Thermo Rus was placed under the temporary management of JSC Gazprom Household systems, a subsidiary of the Gazprom group--only after the news was published by Reuters.
"Following the publication of the news by Reuters," the statement reads, "the company retrieved Presidential Decree 294 signed by President Putin and published on the same date in the Russian Official Gazette.
"The Ariston Group," the note continues, "which has been industrially active in the Russian Federation for almost 20 years with very proper relations with local institutions, was not informed in advance of the Decree and is extremely surprised by this initiative.
Saras, trading at EUR1.77, announced Friday that in connection with Vitol's prospective acquisition of a stake representing approximately 35 percent of the share capital of Saras, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers issued a decree regarding the exercise of special powers - golden power - "containing prescriptions that do not impede the completion of the transaction."
Therefore, the statement says, one of the related conditions precedent for the completion of the transaction is fulfilled.
Webuild--up 2.6 percent--reported Wednesday that it had acquired EUR5.5 billion in new orders since the beginning of the year by the end of March.
As the former Salini Impregilo explained, almost all of the new orders came from abroad, in markets such as Canada, the US, and Saudi Arabia. The significant order intake represents about 50 percent of the expected orders for the year 2024.
Added to this is a near-term commercial pipeline of more than EUR70 billion, fueled by the major investment plans launched in key markets monitored by the group, such as Central and Northern Europe, Australia, the U.S. and the Middle East.
Among smallcaps, Itway - in the green by 0.9 percent - ended 2023 with a pretax loss of EUR481,000 from one of EUR362,000 as of Dec. 31, 2022, while net loss was EUR330,000 from one of EUR348,000.
Revenues for the period stood at EUR49.1 million from EUR46.7 million in 2022.
Elica--up 0.3 percent--on Wednesday signaled that it will start a new buyback plan from April 26 for a maximum number of buyable shares of 1 million.
Among SMEs, Company of the Caribbean advances 10 percent. The company reported Thursday that revenues for the first three months rose 4.2 percent year-on-year to EUR11.7 million from EUR11.2 million in the same period a year earlier.
It was followed by ESI, up 9.9 percent followed by Alfonsino with 9.6 percent.
Poligrafici Printing -- down 1.6 percent -- reported Wednesday that it ended 2023 with consolidated revenues of EUR24.1 million from EUR28.0 million as of Dec. 31, 2022.
Ebitda stood at EUR4.9 million in 2023 from EUR6.1 million in the previous year.
Consolidated profit for the year was EUR1.5 million from EUR2.4 million in 2022. The company proposed distributing a dividend of EUR0.03 per share from EUR0.0295 in 2022.
In Asia, the Nikkei closed up 0.8 percent, the Hang Seng finished in the green by 0.5 percent, and the Shanghai Composite was up 0.8 percent.
In New York, the Dow closed in the green 0.4 percent to 38,239.66, the Nasdaq finished up 2.0 percent to 15,927.90 and the S&P ended the session up 1.0 percent to 5,099.96.
Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0713 from USD1.0677 on Friday in closing European equities while the pound was worth USD1.2530 from USD1.2452 on Friday evening.
Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD88.97 a barrel from USD89.37 a barrel Friday night and gold trades at USD2,342.88 an ounce from USD2,339.86 an ounce Friday night.
Monday's macroeconomic calendar features Spanish business confidence at 1300 CEST.
Later in the day, there will also be U.S. T-Note auctions.
By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter
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