(Alliance News) - Piazza Affari opens lower on Thursday, while other European stock markets manage to assert themselves above parity on a day marked by the release of a variety of macro economic data.

Thus, the FTSE Mib opens down 0.2 percent at 27,585.74.

Among Italy's smaller listings, the Mid-Cap rises 0.7 percent to 43,976.37, the Small-Cap is in fractional green at 29,889.17 while Italy Growth rises 0.2 percent to 9,437.98.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 rises 1.0 percent, Frankfurt's DAX 40 opened in the green by 0.2 percent while London's FTSE 100 started the day just above par.

In macroeconomic news, consumer price inflation in Germany was confirmed at a seven-month low of 7.4 percent annually in March 2023, down from 8.7 percent in the previous two months and remaining well above the European Central Bank's target of around 2.0 percent.

The U.K. economy, on the other hand, stalled in February 2023, with GDP standing still at 0.0 percent after an upwardly revised 0.4 percent increase in January and below forecasts for a 0.1 percent increase.

The services sector fell 0.1 percent, driven by declines in education, public administration, and defense following strikes in February 2023.

On the main list of Piazza Affari, Hera opens up 0.1 percent after announcing Wednesday that the update to its Euro Medium Term Notes Program has been completed, with the maximum principal amount of bonds that can be outstanding at the same time under it being increased from EUR3.5 billion to EUR4.5 billion.

UniCredit opens up 0.3 percent. The bank announced Wednesday that it had purchased 11.1 million of its own ordinary shares between April 3 and April 6.

The shares were taken over at an average price per share of EUR17.9170, for a total value of EUR198.2 million.

Tenaris rises 0.3 percent. As stated in a focus on the stock by projectionDiBorsa, "The last year has not been the best for the stock, which lost about 10 percent. However, Tenaris shares may be on the verge of redeeming a down year last year. Conditions may, therefore, have been created for an upward restart."

The company's Ebitda to sales ratio is relatively strong, with the company generating high margins and appearing to be very profitable.

"The company's financial situation appears to be excellent, which gives it considerable investment capacity," the note points out.

At the top are Moncler and Amplifon, rising 2.9 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

At the bottom, however, among the bearish minority are Enel, down 2.5 percent, Saipem down 1.5 percent, and FinecoBank, which gives up 0.3 percent.

On the Mid-Cap, Juventus Football Club ends up at the tail end and gives up 0.7 percent after confirming Wednesday that the FIGC Federal Prosecutor's Office notified the company and some of its current and former members of the communication of the conclusion of investigations related to the "2019/2020 football season salary maneuver," the "2020/2021 football season salary maneuver," the relations between the company and certain sports agents, as well as certain alleged "partnership relations" between Juventus and other clubs.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office, reads the press release, "also by virtue of alleged accounting violations, hypothesized the violation of Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Code of Sports Justice."

According to reports in Ansa, the prosecutor believes in its conclusions that on "salaries, agents and partners, Juventus was not fair."

Maire Tecnimont gains 0.3 percent after announcing Wednesday that its subsidiary NextChem Holding has finalized the acquisition of an 83.5 percent stake in Conser, a Rome-based proprietary technology and process engineering company, announced Jan. 23, 2023.

The countervalue of 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 fashion and luxury sector did well, with Salvatore Ferragamo beating everyone and rising 3.2 percent, followed by Tod's up 2.6 percent while Brunello Cucinelli picked up 1.8 percent.

On the Small-Cap, Bastogi is still not trading. The company on Wednesday approved its results as of December 31, 2022 reporting a net profit of EUR28.2 million, up from a loss of EUR2.4 million in the previous year.

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.

Greenthesis gives up 2.8 percent after reporting that it ended 2022 with a net profit of EUR18.6 million, up from about EUR10.0 million in the previous year.

Revenues were EUR171.7 million compared to EUR155.9 million in the previous year. Specifically, the main business areas Disposal, Treatment and Recovery, Environmental Remediation, and Energy Production recorded an increase of 13 percent, an increase of 0.7 percent, and an increase of 80 percent, respectively, compared to the actual figures for the same period in the previous year.

Among SMEs, CleanBnB opens at the top with 7.4 percent after announcing on Wednesday evening that in the first three months of the year it recorded a further consolidation of its property portfolio, which reached 1,805 units, distributed in more than 70 Italian locations and managed exclusively, mostly with the "FULL package" formula of full management.

The number of stays managed by CleanBnB during the first quarter of 2023 also totaled 14,341, an increase of 61 percent over the same period in 2022.

Visibilia Publishing is not trading yet. The company announced Wednesday that it had finalized the acquisition of Calcio 2000, a football-themed sports magazine founded in 1997, from TC & C Srl for a consideration of EUR10,000.00.

EdiliziAcrobatica rises 0.8 percent. Wednesday reported that contracts signed by clients in the first quarter grew 43 percent year-on-year.

"This is a very important result that shows a remarkable capacity for development and commercial penetration for the company founded by Riccardo Iovino in 1994, net of bonuses and state incentives," the company said.

Pattern-which is not yet involved in any trades-warned that Wednesday saw the completion of the purchase, through its 80 percent subsidiary SMT - Società Manifattura Tessile Srl, of 100 percent of Nuova Nicol Srl, an Emilia-based company specializing in the production of luxury women's knitwear, directly from its three partners Gianluca Nicoli, Michele Marchi and Rita Nanni.

The price, amounting to EUR6 million, was paid by SMT to the sellers for 80 percent today, and the remaining 20 percent will be paid subsequent to the approval of Nuova Nicol's annual financial statements as of December 31, 2025, assuming the existence of the previously agreed conditions.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed in the green 0.2 percent to 28,137.10 and the Hang Seng is giving up 0.7 percent to 20,1173.52, while the Shanghai Composite closed in the red 0.3 percent to 3,18.36.

In New York on Wednesday, the Dow Jones closed down 0.1 percent to 33,646.50, the S&P lost 0.4 percent to 4,091.95, while the Nasdaq was down 0.9 percent to 11,929.34.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0998 versus USD1.0983 at Wednesday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2501 from USD1.2465 on Wednesday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD87.24 per barrel versus USD87.00 per barrel on Wednesday evening. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD2,021.98 an ounce from USD2,006.42 an ounce at Wednesday's close.

On Thursday's economic calendar, Italy's industrial production is scheduled at 1000 CEST followed by that of the Eurozone at 1100 CEST.

At 1110 CEST, however, three- and seven-year BTP auctions will be held, and at 1200 CEST the Thomson Reuters IPSOS index on consumer sentiment for Italy, France and Germany will be released.

At 1300 CEST from the U.S. is the OPEC monthly report and in the afternoon, at 1430 CEST, the index of key producer prices and initial claims for unemployment benefits.

In Piazza Affari, no special events are expected.

By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter

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