(Alliance News) - On Friday, in the midst of the last session of the year, which analysts say is shaping up to be the worst since 2018, European stock markets tacked to the downside with the rise in coronavirus cases in China adding further pressure to an already difficult 2023 amid recession, inflation and rising interest rates.

Thus, at mid-session, the FTSE Mib is in the red 0.4 percent to 23,949.88, the Mid-Cap is down 0.1 percent to 39,748.75, the Small-Cap is up 0.2 percent to 27,794.89, while Italy Growth is in the green 0.3 percent to 9,268.62.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 gives up 0.6 percent, London's FTSE 100 loses 0.3 percent, but will only be open until 1330 CET for the day, while Frankfurt's DAX 40 is down 0.6 percent.

In Milan, only Amplifon -- up 0.3 percent -- and energy stocks A2A and Hera, up 0.2 percent and in fractional green, respectively, are in the green on the main list of Piazza Affari.

Enel trades down 0.2 percent after announcing that Enel Brasil, a subsidiary through Chilean listed company Enel Américas, has finalized the sale of its entire stake in Brazilian power distribution company CELG Distribuição CELG D, amounting to about 99.9 percent of the latter's share capital, to Equatorial Participações e Investimentos, a subsidiary of Equatorial Energia.

With the fourth EUR33 million issue in favor of four Italian companies, the 2022 basket bond by BPER Banca -- down 0.4 percent -- and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti closes with EUR112 million disbursed in favor of 15 Italian companies.

In detail, the companies issued minibonds with a duration of between four and six years with the aim of raising strategic resources to support their respective acquisition, investment and development plans in Italy and abroad. CDP and BPER Banca acted as anchor investors in the program by each underwriting 50 percent of the amount of the fourth tranche, as was the case in previous issues of the program, which was the first to benefit from the guarantee of the European Investment Bank's European Guarantee Fund.

Eni--down 0.5 percent--reported Thursday that Plenitude, through its U.S. subsidiary Eni New Energy US, has acquired the 81 MW Kellam photovoltaic plant located in North Texas, 50 miles from the Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan complex. The plant, divested from Hanwha Qcells USA, joins other assets in Texas and the rest of the United States in Plenitude's portfolio, which with this transaction reaches an installed capacity of 878 MW in the U.S. market. The plant is built on more than 150 hectares of land and the energy produced will be sold to a local power company.

UniCredit gives up 0.2 percent after announcing Thursday that it has completed a new securitization transaction of a portfolio of consumer loans originated by the bank with a total size of about EUR850 million in recent days. Senior and mezzanine tranches of the notes issued by the securitization vehicle were purchased by the European Investment Bank for a total value of EUR700 million and by the European Investment Fund for an additional EUR50 million against UniCredit's commitment to provide additional credit of an equal amount to Italian small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-cap companies over the next 36 months.

In the cadet segment, Tinexta lost 1.2 percent. The company announced Wednesday of the signing of a binding agreement to acquire a 20 percent stake in Defence Tech Holding Società Benefit through a wholly owned vehicle.

As part of a broader program of action on impaired loans and in line with its derisking and asset quality improvement strategy, Banca Popolare di Sondrio announced Thursday that it had concluded -- together with 14 other participating institutions -- the multi-originator securitization of non-performing loans called "Luzzatti Pop NPLs 2022," with a total gross book value of EUR545 million. The stock gives up 0.1 percent.

Seco rises 0.7%, rearing its head again after two bearish sessions.

Juventus FC gives up 0.5 percent after announcing that the shareholders' meeting approved the financial statements for the year to June 30, 2022, which ended with a loss for the year of EUR238.1 million ispared to a loss of EUR226.4 million in the 2020-21 financial year. The loss was covered by use of the share premium reserve. The meeting also viewed the consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2022, which showed a loss of EUR239.3 million from the loss of EUR226.8 million in fiscal year 2020-21.

On the Small-Cap, PLC rises 0.6 percent. It is mentioned that the company last week approved the 2023-2027 business plan in which it expects EUR6.0 million in dividends and a gradually growing Ebitda driven by an increase in revenues - 2x to 2027 vs. 2023 - and a major scale effect of overhead costs, with end-of-plan targets of around EUR12-14 million thanks to the contribution of all business areas.

Itway - down 2.1% - reported Wednesday that its subsidiary 4Science was admitted to the Vienna Stock Exchange, where it makes its debut today. It has a market capitalization of EUR28.0 million, or a price per share of EUR4.0.

Among the SMBs, Defence Tech Holding is in the green by 0.1 percent, after rising 14 percent, easily taking the lead on Thursday's closing list.

Among the bearish performers, Almawave does worst of all and drops 3.2%, while the best performer is Eprcommunication, up 6.2%.

In New York on Thursday, the Dow Jones closed in the green 1.1 percent to 33,220.80, the S&P gained 1.8 percent to 3,849.28, and the Nasdaq picked up 2.6 percent to 10,478.09.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0664 versus USD1.0665 at Thursday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2039 from USD1.2060 on Thursday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD83.58 per barrel from USD83.20 per barrel on Thursday evening. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,820.95 an ounce from USD1,814.70 an ounce on Wednesday evening.

On Friday's economic calendar, in the afternoon, from the US, space will be given to the Baker Hughes report at 1900 CET while, at 2130 CET, as usual on Fridays, will come the COT Report.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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