Europeans in the red; oil stocks hurt on Mib.

(Alliance News) - On Friday, major European stock markets end the session down, with London and Milan doing worst of all as eyes begin to look ahead to the upcoming Fed, ECB and BoJ central bank decisions next week.

Thus, the FTSE Mib closes down 0.4 percent to 27,162.02, the Mid-Cap up 0.2 percent to 43,031.00, the Small-Cap in the red 0.2 percent to 27,266.99, while Italy Growth gains 0.1 percent to 9,177.34.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 ends down 0.5 percent, Paris' CAC 40 is in fractional red at the close, while Frankfurt's DAX 40 loses 0.3 percent.

Among the day's macroeconomic news from Italy, Italy's industrial production fell further in April, doing worse than market estimates, as released by Istat on Friday.

Italy's industrial production fell 1.9 percent in April on a monthly basis after falling 0.6 percent in March and with the market forecasting a 0.1 percent increase.

On a year-over-year basis, industry output fell 7.2 percent after falling 3.2 percent the month before. Economists had expected a 4.1 percent year-over-year decline in April.

On the main index in Piazza Affari, down goes the oil sector with Eni giving up 1.0%, Tenaris losing 0.4%, and Saipem being the second worst stock down 2.0%. It does worse only Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which retreats about 11%.

Azimut Holding - down 1.5 percent - reported Friday that it recorded positive net inflows of EUR89 million in May, bringing to EUR2.9 billion that recorded since the beginning of the year.

Total assets including assets under administration stood at EUR83.7 billion at the end of May, of which EUR57.0 billion refer to assets under management.

Italgas - in the green by 0.2 percent - and Veolia announced Friday that they had signed a contract to buy and sell the Veolia group's holdings in some companies active in water services in the regions of Lazio, Campania and Sicily, following negotiations announced in recent months.

Terna gains 0.1% after announcing that it has renewed its EUR9.00 billion Euro Medium Term Note bond issue program as the maximum amount that can be subscribed.

On the mid-cap, Salcef advances 0.9 percent. The company announced Wednesday that its subsidiaries Salcef Spa and Euroferroviaria Srlhave won the tender, called by RFI Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, for the renovation and extraordinary maintenance works to the railway equipment of the Perugia Ponte San Giovanni - Terni and Città di Castello - Sansepolcro sections, the former Ferrovia Centrale Umbra line. The tender, financed by PNRR funds, is worth EUR70 million and will affect a total of about 100 km of track.

Maire Tecnimont is up 1.5 percent after reporting Friday that a consortium comprising subsidiary Tecnimont Spa, part of the Integrated E&C Solutions business unit, and Orascom Construction SAE has been awarded a turnkey lump sum engineering, procurement and construction contract for a nitric acid and ammonium nitrate plant by KIMA - Egyptian Chemical Industries Company.

The total contract value for the consortium is USD300 million, of which Tecnimont is responsible for approximately USD220 million. Finalization of the contract is subject to the execution of the financing package.

Anima Group's net inflows of assets under management-which closed in the red by 0.7 percent-were positive EUR63 million in May 2023. At the end of May, total assets under management of the Anima Group stood at more than EUR183 billion.

Webuild - in the red by 1.0% - announced Tuesday that it has been awarded a new contract with a total value of EUR1.32 billion, on the Palermo-Catania high-capacity railway line in Sicily.

The consortium will carry out the doubling of the Fiumetorto-Lercara Diramazione Lotto 1+2 section, which includes the executive design and construction of 30 kilometers of new line.

On the Small-Cap segment, Newlat Food -- in the green by 1.9 percent -- announced Friday that it had sold 3.9 million of its own shares, equivalent to about 8.9 percent of the share capital, to a group of institutional investors, including Helikon Investments and Banor, at a price of EUR5.80 per share, which is substantially in line with current market prices and the IPO price.

Mondo TV gains 0.6 percent after announcing Friday that it has signed an agreement with Thai company Cineplex for several animated series from its library.

The agreement involves in flat fee and concerns pay and vod rights for 3 years.

Eems Italia is in the green by 8.0 percent at the close of trading after reporting Friday that the new board of directors confirmed the chairman, Susanna Stefani, and the chief executive officer, Giuseppe De Giovanni, who will also be general manager.

In addition, Michele Del Piero was appointed vice chairman of the board.

Eems Italia also approved the 2023-2027 business plan, which updates the one approved on Nov. 3, 2021, and provides for the startup and development of the business of electricity production from renewable sources, particularly photovoltaics, for which the company will become an independent power producer.

Among SMEs, eVISO--green by 1.8 percent--reported on Friday data provided by the Integrated Information System--a public body that manages information flows related to the electricity and gas markets--regarding the annual consumption volumes of the fleet of electricity users subscribed to eVISO in June. These data show a strong resumption of growth in electricity volumes handled by eVISO in terms of both direct customers and resellers.

The board of directors of Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment -- flat at EUR0.89 per share -- announced Friday that it had reviewed and approved the group's final results for the first quarter ended March 31, having reported a profit of EUR2.5 million from EUR3.3 million in the same period last year.

On the revenue front, the quarter saw them at EUR32.5 million, up from EUR26.9 million as of March 31, 2022.

Società Editoriale il Fatto - down 3.9% - on Friday announced that it has appointed MiT SIM Spa as its new specialist effective July 3, replacing Banca Akros Spa, which will continue in the post until June 30.

FOS gives up 2.7 percent, after letting it be known on Friday that the board of directors initiated the buyback plan, which is designed for a maximum countervalue of EUR350,000.00.

The board also appointed CEO Enrico Bottnuovo as the group's new interim CFO, replacing the current one, who has decided to pursue other professional opportunities.

In New York, at the height of trading Friday, the Dow is in the green by 0.3 percent, the Nasdaq is up 0.5 percent, and the S&P 500 is up 0.4 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changes hands at USD1.0770 against USD1.0774 on Thursday's European stock close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2581 from USD1.2543 last night.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD76.17 per barrel versus USD76.31 per barrel Thursday night. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,978.85 an ounce from USD1,965.67 an ounce last night.

On Monday's economic calendar, Japan's business goods price index is expected at 0150 CEST and machine tool orders at 0800 CEST.

Still to be fixed, its new mortgages and M2 money supply data from China arrive in the morning.

Overseas, at 1700 CEST, it is the turn of consumer inflation expectations from the US.

Among the companies listed in Piazza Affari, results from Homizy, Piquadro, Prismi and TrenDevice are expected.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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