(Alliance News) - On Friday, major European stock markets open trading mixed on a day that includes the release of numerous macroeconomic data, especially in Europe.

Thus, the FTSE Mib is in the red 0.4 percent to 27,050.35, the Mid-Cap is in the fractional red to 43,357.31 the Small-Cap gives up 0.2 percent to 29,217.99, and Italy Growth is in the green 0.2 percent to 9,261.66.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 is on the parity threshold, London's FTSE 100 is in the red by 0.1 percent, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 gains 0.5 percent.

In macroeconomic news, Germany's import price index fell 3.8 percent year-on-year in March 2023, the first decline since January 2021, after a 2.8 percent increase in the previous month and compared with market estimates of a 3.6 percent drop.

Also in Europe, the French economy posted modest growth in the first quarter. According to the Insee, Gross Domestic Product grew by 0.2 percent in the first quarter of 2023 after recording zero growth in the fourth quarter of 2022.

In March, retail sales in Japan rose 7.2 percent year-on-year, exceeding market forecasts of 5.8 percent and following an upwardly revised 7.3 percent increase in the previous month.

This was the 13th consecutive month of retail trade growth, thanks to further recovery in consumption after the pandemic collapse.

On the main Milan Stock Exchange list, the board of Eni -- in the green by 0.2 percent -- announced Friday that it had approved consolidated results for the first quarter, having reported adjusted pre-tax profit of EUR4.98 billion, down 5.0 percent from the same period last year when it was EUR5.23 billion.

STMicroelectronics is up 0.6 percent, after reporting Thursday that it posted sharp year-over-year increases in earnings and revenues in the first quarter, with net income improving 40 percent to USD1.04 billion from USD747 million in the same period last year.

On a quarterly basis, however, net income marks a 16 percent decline from USD1.25 billion in the last three months of 2022. Earnings per share rose 39 percent year-on-year to USD1.10 from USD0.79, but fell 17 percent quarter-on-quarter from USD1.32.

Net revenues rose 20% year-on-year to USD4.25 billion from USD3.55 billion in the first quarter of 2022, and USD4.42 billion in the last three-month period of 2022.

Among the negative notes, Tenaris gives up 1.2 percent, sunk by both the downward trend in crude oil prices and the uncertain outlook for the rest of the year announced by the company this morning as it released its first quarter results. Tenaris ended the first quarter with net income more than doubling year-on-year to USD1.13 billion from USD503 million in the same period a year earlier.

CNH Industrial rises 1.2 percent after reporting that it purchased 761,837 ordinary shares for a total consideration of EUR10.1 million.

On the Mid-Cap, Tamburi Investment Partners -- down 0.6 percent -- announced Friday that it will execute a share buyback program for up to an additional 5 million shares to be made by October 27, 2024.

The board of Webuild--which gives up 0.2 percent--on Thursday announced that it had approved additional information regarding performance in the first three months of the year.

The company disclosed that since the beginning of the year the group has acquired EUR11.4 billion in new orders, including EUR6.3 billion in projects for which it is a best bidder, exceeding guidance of EUR10-10.5 billion for the full year 2023.

Iren rises 0.3 percent, after the rating agency Standard & Poor's Global Ratings announced Thursday that it has revised upward its rating for the group's long-term creditworthiness to BBB Outlook Stable from the previous BBB- Outlook Positive.

Maire Tecnimont gained 0.2 percent after announcing Thursday that NextChem, the subsidiary that is part of the Sustainable Technology Solutions business unit, acquired 51 percent of MyRemono Srl, a new company into which Biorenova Spa transferred patents, assets, including a pilot plant, and contracts related to CatC, an innovative catalytic plastic depolymerization technology.

On the Small-Cap, Seri Industrial gives up 2.4 percent, after reporting revenues of EUR45.0 million in the first three months of the year from EUR44.0 million in the same period a year earlier.

Elica's board of directors -- down 1.1 percent -- approved results for the first quarter of 2023, which closed with a net profit of EUR3.4 million compared to EUR4.7 million in the first quarter of 2022. The normalized result was EUR3.9 million.

In Q1 2023, Elica posted revenues of EUR129.0 million, "in a market characterized by shrinking demand and impacted by destocking measures implemented by OEM customers," the company note said. Last year in the first quarter it was EUR144 million.

Finally, among SMEs, Franchi Umberto Marmi ceede 2.0 percent, after announcing Thursday that total revenues as of March 31 amounted to EUR22.7 million, up 7 percent, compared to EUR21.1 million recorded in the same period last year, with a significant contribution from sales in Turkey, South Korea and India.

Sales in the Italian market, as of March 31, 2023, increased by 4%, compared to the first three months of 2022, reaching EUR12.3 million or 54% of total revenues, confirming the good health of the domestic market.

MeglioThis does not yet trade, but the company announced that the board has resolved to initiate a EUR7.0 million capital increase reserved for Pierluigi Ghiani and Francesco Simula.

The transaction will be developed through the issuance of 4.0 million ordinary shares at a subscription price of EUR1.75 each. Of the amount of the capital increase, EUR400,000 will go to increase the company's share capital while EUR6.6 million will be allocated to share premium reserve.

TraWell Co rises 2.9 percent, after announcing Friday that it reported revenues of EUR26.3 million in the year ended Dec. 31, 2022 from EUR20.0 million in the same period last year and up 31 percent.

Profit stood at EUR2.1 million, a 197 percent improvement from EUR700,000 as of Dec. 31, 2021.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed up 1.4 percent to 28,856.44, the Shanghai Composite rose 1.1 percent to 3,323.27, and the Hang Seng gained 0.7 percent to 19,973.10.

In New York at Thursday's close, the Dow Jones rose 1.6 percent to 33,826.16, the Nasdaq picked up 2.4 percent to 12,142.24 and the S&P 500 put up 2.0 percent to 4,135.35.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0996 versus USD1.1025 at Thursday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2466 from USD1.2493 last night.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD78.44 per barrel versus USD77.98 per barrel on Thursday evening. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,92.15 an ounce from USD1,984.03 an ounce at Thursday's close.

Friday's macroeconomic calendar calls for GDP from Italy at 1000 CEST, as well as from Germany. An hour later will be the Eurozone's. At 1200 CEST, from Italy, comes industrial sales.

In the US, at 1900 CEST, it is the turn of data from Baker Hughes and at 2230 CEST, as usual on Fridays, the COT Report.

Among companies, results from Agatos, BasicNet, Clabo, PLC and Zucchi, among others, are expected.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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