(Alliance News) - Europe's major stock markets are all in the black, mid-day Friday, while in Italy, Istat reported that preliminary data for 2022 as a whole on building permits show modest growth in the residential sector, following a strong increase the previous year. More robust is the growth of the nonresidential sector, also, however, slowing down from the 2021 increase.

In detail, in the fourth quarter of 2022, on the basis of approvals concerning the residential sector, Istat estimated a cyclical growth of 0.4 percent for the number of dwellings and 0.7 percent for the useful living space.

Thus, the FTSE Mib is in the green by 0.4 percent to 27,735.84, the Mid-Cap is up 0.3 percent to 44,194.37, the Small-Cap is up 0.2 percent to 29,993.02, and Italy Growth gives up 0.3 percent to 9,360.98.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 is in the green by 0.2 percent, London's FTSE 100 is up 0.3 percent, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is up 0.4 percent.

On the main list in Piazza Affari, the best performers are Recordati, up 1.7 percent, Ferrari up 1.3 percent, and BPER Banca, which like Stellantis is advancing 1.2 percent.

On the other side of the list, however, are Tenaris, down 0.9%, Telecom Italia, Amplifon and Eni, all down 0.6%.

Hera rises 0.5 percent after announcing the launch of its second sustainability-linked bond and the activation of a new "Sustainability-Linked Revolving Credit Facility," under which the multi-utility will allocate more than EUR1 billion in financing to projects supporting the green transition.

After opening above par, Leonardo passes among the bearish and gives up 0.3 percent. The company announced Thursday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cisco Systems, a world leader in networking and IT, with the aim of strengthening mutual business relations and initiating structured collaboration in the civil and defense industrial fields.

Well done STMicroelectronics -- up 0.2 percent -- which announced Thursday that it will supply millions of silicon carbide devices to the ZF technology group starting in 2025.

Under the terms of the multi-year contract, ST will supply tens of millions of silicon carbide devices to be integrated into ZF's new modular inverter architecture, with mass production to begin in 2025. ZF will leverage ST's vertically integrated silicon carbide production in Europe and Asia to secure customer orders in the field of electric mobility.

Generali Assicurazioni moves into the black after opening in the red and picks up 0.4 percent. The company announced Thursday that it has placed a new euro-denominated Tier 2 bond maturing April 20, 2033, issued in green format under Generali's sustainability bond framework.

The new securities are issued at the same time as Generali's announced cash repurchase offer, with the aim of repurchasing an aggregate nominal amount of securities not exceeding EUR500 million.

In the placement of the new securities, orders of EUR3.9 billion, more than seven times the offer, were raised from a highly diversified base of more than 300 international institutional investors, including a significant presence of funds with Green/SRI mandates.

On the cadet segment, Maire Tecnimont is up 0.3 percent after announcing Wednesday that its subsidiary NextChem Holding has completed the acquisition of an 83.5 percent stake in Conser, a Rome-based proprietary technology and process engineering company.

The consideration for the transaction is approximately EUR35.8 million, of which EUR28.4 million was paid today and EUR7.4 million deferred and subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions. The acquisition agreement also includes an earn-out clause based on the achievement of specific operating results for the years 2023 and 2024 and a put and call option structure on the remaining 16.5 percent stake to be exercised within the next three years.

LU-VE rises 1.9 percent: Friday reported first-quarter product sales as of March 30, 2023, at EUR150.6 million, up 4.0 percent from the same period in 2022.

On a like-for-like basis, the company explained, the figure would have been in line with the first quarter of 2022.

The order backlog was EUR218.6 million, in line with the figure as of March 31, 2022 and up 16 percent from December 31, 2022. The figure, the company points out, is not affected by changes in the group's perimeter.

On the list, the good momentum in the fashion sector continues, with Salvatore Ferragamo leading the way with 2.3 percent, Tod's in the green by 0.9 percentand Brunello Cucinelli rising 0.4 percent.

On the Small-Cap, Bastogi is flat at EUR0.61. The company said Wednesday it approved results as of Dec. 31, 2022 reporting a net profit of EUR28.2 million, up from a loss of EUR2.4 million a year earlier. The board of directors also decided to propose the distribution of a dividend of EUR0.009 per outstanding share, excluding treasury shares, using distributable reserves.

TXT e-solutions rises with 1.0 percent, after announcing Thursday that it has subscribed to the capital increase in Simplex Human Tech Srl under which TXT holds a minority stake in Simplex, representing 15 percent of the Insurtech start-up's share capital.

Giglio Group advances 3.6 percent after approving Thursday results as of Dec. 31, 2022 reporting a loss of EUR2.1 million improving from a loss of EUR4.6 million in 2021.

Revenues, on the other hand, drop to EUR37.3 million from EUR38.8 million in 2021.

GPI picks up 0.6 percent after reporting Thursday that it has won, through its subsidiary GPI Iberia, the tender for automation of five Servicio Canario de la Salud hospitals in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Palma.

The contract is worth nearly EUR2 million and includes the supply of seven Riedl Phasys systems, seven automatic loading systems, five cold rooms, con-five ATM stand-alone dispensers, and transport systems for drug distribution to the outpatient area. Also included are eight years of maintenance.

At the top, Mondo TV climbs with 16 percent.

Among SMEs, CleanBnB--in the red by 1.7 percent after opening up 1.4 percent--reported Wednesday evening that in the first three months of the year it recorded further consolidation of its property portfolio, which reached 1,805 units, distributed in more than 70 Italian locations and managed exclusively, mostly under the "FULL package" formula of full management. This operating result was also reflected in the gross booking volume, i.e., receipts from guests for managed stays, reaching nearly EUR5.0 million, more than 67 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2022.

At the bottom of the list is Fenix Entertainment down 7.5% while at the top are Mondo TV France and Kolinpharma, up 9.5% and 6.0%.

In New York on Thursday, the Dow Jones closed in the green 1.1% to 34,029.69, the S&P lost 1.3% to 4,146.22, while the Nasdaq finished up 2.0% to 12,166.27.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.1058 versus USD1.1026 at Thursday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2507 from USD1.2521 on Thursday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD86.17 per barrel versus USD87.31 per barrel on Thursday evening. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD2,035.42 an ounce from USD2,028.01 an ounce at Thursday's close.

On Friday's economic calendar, at 1430 CET, from the US, eyes on retail sales, at 1515 CET, on industrial production. At 1900 CET, the Baker Hughes report will be released, and at 2230 CET, as usual on Friday, it will be the turn of the COT report.

By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter

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