(Alliance News) - On Friday, major European stock markets closed in positive territory amid rising oil prices, weak consumer sentiment, and declining U.S. indexes as we already look ahead to next week's rate decision by the Fed.

Thus, the FTSE Mib closes up 0.1 percent to 28,895.39, the Mid-Cap down 0.2 percent to 41,051.59, the Small-Cap gives up 0.6 percent to 26,592.08 and Italy Growth down 0.3 percent to 8,624.71.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 finishes green by 0.5 percent, Paris' CAC 40 rises 0.9 percent and Frankfurt's DAX 40 closes in the green by 0.6 percent.

"Unlike their European counterparts, which added to yesterday's strong gains after the ECB, U.S. indexes end the week under pressure. High oil prices and U.S. import prices, which rose the most in more than a year, reignite inflationary concerns. Together with the three-month low in consumer sentiment from the University of Michigan, strikes by U.S. automakers, and USD4 trillion in simultaneous expirations of equity indices, index futures, and options, all weigh on U.S. markets ahead of next week's anticipated FOMC," commented Axel Rudolph, senior market analyst at IG.

"The U.S. dollar continues to appreciate and is heading for its ninth consecutive weekly gain ahead of next week's Fed, BoE and BoJ rate decisions."

Back in Milan, on the main list of Piazza Affari, Stellantis does best of all with a 1.9 percent gain. The performance does not drag on the Agnelli Galaxy, which closes mixed, with Iveco giving up 0.3 percent, Ferrari rising 0.7 percent, CNH Industrial losing 0.1 percent, and Juventus on the Mid giving up 1.7 percent.

Iveco announced Wednesday that Anna Tanganelli - formerly of Iren - will assume the role of chief financial officer effective Dec. 1, succeeding Francesco Tanzi who served as CFO during Iveco Group's spin-off and its first year and a half as an independent company.

Leonardo also does well, rising 1.6 percent. The company said Tuesday that defense industry leaders from the United Kingdom, Japan, and Italy have signed a trilateral collaboration agreement to develop the conceptual phase of a next-generation combat aircraft.

The agreement is part of the Global Combat Air Program, a collaboration between the three countries that aims to deliver a next-generation combat aircraft by 2035.

Rounding out the podium is Telecom Italia, up 1.2 percent.

Unipol - unchanged at EUR5.22 per share - and UnipolSai - up 0.7 percent on the Mid - announced on Friday that they had bought - on Sept. 11, 12 and 13 - a total of 585,000 Unipol shares, for a total of EUR3.0 million.

On the Mid-Cap, Cembre rises 3.5 percent after reporting Tuesday a half-year profit of EUR23.9 million, up 31 percent from EUR18.2 million in the same period last year.

SogGen moved on fashion stocks between Mid and Mid: in fact, on Moncler, up 1.1 percent in closing on the main list of Piazza Affari, it cut its target price to EUR69.00 from EUR78.00 with a 'buy' recommendation.

It also cut the target price of Tod's -- which gives up 1.4 percent -- to EUR42.00 from EUR46.00 with a 'hold' recommendation.

Movements also on Salvatore Ferragamo, in the red by 0.5 percent. On the stock SocGen cut its target price to EUR10.00 from EUR11.00 with 'sell' recommendation.

Webuild - in the red by 2.0 percent - on Thursday reported growth in Australia, the group's first non-domestic market, with EUR7.3 billion worth of orders won and being finalized in the country in the first eight months of 2023, bringing the group's work portfolio in Australia to EUR13.3 billion.

On this basis, Webuild reaches the figure of EUR21 billion worth of orders acquired and being finalized in the first eight months of 2023, pushing the group's work portfolio to a potential of more than EUR68 billion.

Sesa picks up 4.6 percent. It reported Thursday that in the first quarter ended July 31 it reported an adjusted group net profit of EUR26.5 million from EUR23.8 million in the same period last year.

On the small-cap side, Beewize--green by 4.9 percent--reported Friday that the board of directors approved the condensed consolidated half-year financial statements as of June 30 reporting a loss of EUR673,000 from a loss of EUR1.8 million in the first half of 2022.

Net revenues amounted to EUR2.65 million in line with EUR2.59 million in the same period last year.

Bialetti Industrie picks up 0.4 percent after announcing Thursday night that it made a loss of EUR3.1 million in the first half of the year, worsening from the EUR2.0 million loss recorded in the first half of 2022. The increase in the loss, the company specified in a note, was mainly due to the increase in financial expenses related to the rise in interest rates.

I Grandi Viaggi gives up 0.5 percent. In the third quarter, the company saw its loss narrow by EUR2.0 million, an improvement from a net loss of EUR5.1 million in the same period last year. Revenues as of July 31 rose to EUR32.2 million from EUR24.4 million in Q3 2022.

Orsero rises 1.3 percent after reporting that it reported adjusted net income of EUR33.4 million in the first half of the year, up 57& from EUR32.4 million reported in the same period of 2022. On Friday, the company announced the launch of a share buyback program for a maximum of 70,000 shares, worth up to EUR1.0 million.

Among SMEs, ISCC Fintech gains 3.7 percent after announcing Thursday that the board of directors approved the half-year financial report reporting a loss of EUR1.4 million, which compares with a loss of EUR839,537 in the first half of 2022. Revenues amounted to EUR1.4 million, up from EUR1.1 million in the same period last year.

Italian Wine Brands rises 2.8 percent thanks to a good half-year, reporting sales revenues of EUR196.8 million, up from EUR177.3 million in the same period last year. Profit amounted to EUR4.6 million up from EUR3.9 million in the first half of 2022.

In New York, at the height of trading on Friday, the Dow is in the red by 0.5 percent, the Nasdaq gives up 1.4 percent, and the S&P 500 leaves 0.9 percent on the sidelines.

Among currencies, the euro changes hands at USD1.0671 versus USD1.0661 on Thursday in closing European equities, while the pound is instead worth USD1.2400 from USD1.2410 on Thursday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD93.81 per barrel versus USD92.42 per barrel at Thursday's close. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,949.15 an ounce from USD1,906.82 an ounce Thursday evening.

On Monday's economic calendar, with the Tokyo Stock Exchange remaining closed for Senior Citizens' Day, the Rightmove index of residential housing prices is due at 0101 CEST.

Overseas, at 1415 CEST from Canada comes its new construction site data, the index of industrial and commodity prices.

On the bond front, at 1130 CEST it's time for a 12-month German Bubill auction, at 1455 CEST in France there are auctions of 3-, 6- and 12-month BTFs, and in the US at 1730 CEST there are auctions of US Treasury bonds with 3- and 6-month maturities.

Among companies listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, results are expected from Growens, Health Italia,

Juventus Football Club, Neurosoft and SS Lazio.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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