(Alliance News) - At the middle of the day Monday, the Mib is still the best list in Europe, with banking stocks at the top, just hours after Istat released data on Italian consumer confidence that returned to growth in February -- to 104.0 from 100.9 in January -- , while business confidence was unchanged at 109.1 from the previous month.

Also doing well were other European marketplaces, all in the green, as Eurostat reported that the ESI indicator of economic sentiment, which remained stable in the European Union at 97.8, and falling 0.1 in the Eurozone to 99.7.

The Eurozone's consumer confidence indicator was confirmed at minus 19 in February 2023, the highest value since February 2022, based on expectations that inflation has slowed as energy crises have eased due to mild weather and that the region will be able to avoid a recession this year.

Thus, the FTSE Mib is in the green 1.8 percent to 27,479.73, the Mid-Cap is up 1.2 percent to 44,888.56, the Small-Cap is up 0.9 percent to 30,148.98, and Italy Growth is up 0.7 percent to 9,608.45.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 is in the green by 1.6 percent, London's FTSE 100 is up 0.9 percent, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is up 1.5 percent.

On the main list of Piazza Affari almost entirely tinged with green, there are only two bearish exceptions: Saipem down 4.4 percent on the day when results for fiscal year 2022 are expected, and ERG down 0.3 percent.

Poste Italiane picks up 1.1 percent after the announcement of the shareholders' agreement with Gamma, a Caltagirone Group company, to which all shares held by the parties in Anima Holding were contributed.

At the top are the banking stocks of UniCredit, Banco BPm and BPER Banca, with rises of 4.3%, 2.9% and 2.8%.

Stellantis rises 1.5 percent. The company announced that Thierry Koskas is the new Citroën brand ceo and director of sales and marketing effective March 1, 2023.

The rest of the Agnelli galaxy is doing well with Ferrari up 0.7 percent, Iveco is in the green 1.6 percent, and CNH Industrial gains 1.8 percent.

After the results Pirelli is in the green by 1.9%. Revenues in 2022 were EUR6.62 billion, above the target of EUR6.5 billion and up 24% from 2021, when they were EUR5.33 billion. Net income in 2022 was EUR435.9 million, up 36 percent from EUR321.6 million in 2021.

On the cadet segment, Anima Holding gained 1.3 percent after announcing that it signed a binding contract to acquire an 80 percent stake in Castello SGR, a leading company in the promotion and management of alternative investment products mainly real estate based in Milan.

The consideration is EUR60 million, which will be paid in full in cash.

Tinexta -- in the green by 1.0 percent -- and 24Ore Business School on Thursday signaled that they have formed a strategic partnership to structure an educational offering dedicated to the corporate world.

doValue picks up 0.8 percent, after reporting Thursday its main results for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, reporting a net profit including nonrecurring items of EUR16.5 million from EUR23.7 million in the same period of 2021 and marking a decline of more than 30 percent.

On the Small-Cap segment, Autostrade Meridionali is capped for excess volatility at plus 16 percent, after announcing Thursday that it had approved its results as of Dec. 31, reporting a profit for the period of EUR15.8 million from EUR16.0 million in the same period last year.

Revenues for 2022 amounted to EUR34.0 million from EUR89.9 million as of Dec. 31, 2021, down 62 percent.

Ebitda stands at EUR22.4 million from EUR29.8 million in 2021 as of Dec. 31, down 25 percent.

Netweek picks up 4.0 percent after announcing Friday that it has proceeded to expand the group's editorial coverage in the local TV station segment.

Last January saw the launch of TVdA in the Aosta Valley on digital terrestrial channel 15. "A new regional generalist broadcaster branded Netweek full of local news, weather and webcams, in-depth coverage in the automotive, tourism and cooking sectors, and plenty of space dedicated to entertainment and local culture," the company explained in a note.

Sogefi gains 3.0 percent after announcing Friday that it has approved its 2022 operating results, reporting a net profit as of December 31, 2022 of EUR29.6 million, compared to EUR2.0 million in 2021, or EUR26.4 million without taking into account the accounting loss determined by the sale of Filtration Argentina.

Revenues for 2022 were EUR1.55 billion, up about 18 percent from the same period in 2021, when they were EUR1.32 billion.

Among SMEs, Officina Stellare jumps 8.5 percent after announcing Monday the signing of a contract with Argotec to supply the first batch of a series of space telescopes intended for the high-resolution multispectral Earth observation mission that will make up the Italian satellite constellation "Iride," for a total value of about EUR3.3 million.

Digital Value advances with a plus 3.7 percent after approving Friday the start of the project to list the company's shares on Euronext Milan, the regulated market organized and managed by Borsa Italiana Spa that caters to mid- and large-cap companies.

The project will be submitted for approval at the next shareholders' meeting scheduled for April 5, 2023 on first call and April 6, 2023 on second call.

Sababa Security is not yet trading. The company announced Friday that it has finalized the acquisition of a 40 percent stake in Digipoint Srl, a company specializing in providing CyberSecurity, network security, business continuity, disaster recovery and training services.

The purchase price for the stake was EUR2.2 million, paid entirely in cash.

Laboratorio Farmaceutico Erfo yields 2.0 percent, after reviewing key consolidated financial and economic operating data as of December 31, 2022, and reported pro forma revenues of EUR6.0 million, up about 18 percent from EUR5.1 million as of December 31, 2021.

Consolidated revenues were EUR5.0 million, in line with 2021.

Omer gives up 3.0 percent, after reviewing preliminary consolidated figures as of Dec. 31, 2022 reporting a value of production of EUR63 million, up about 10 percent from EUR57.1 million in consolidated 2021.

This change, the company explained, "is attributable both to the increase in production accruals of projects currently underway, and for which the related price revisions resulting from contractually stipulated formulas have been taken into account, and to the start-up during the year of some new production projects."

The board of directors of MeglioQuesto - down 4.4 percent - on Thursday evening reviewed the main consolidated and consolidated pro forma operating and financial data as of December 31, with the value of production in the range of EUR78.0 and EUR81.0 million, a double-digit increase of no less than 20 percent over the 2021 figure of EUR62.5 million.

In New York on Friday, the Dow closed 1.0 percent in the red at 32,816.92, the Nasdaq down 1.7 percent to 11,394.94, and the S&P 500 finished down 1.1 percent at 3,970.04.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0559 versus USD1.0546 at Friday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.1978 from USD1.1946 on Friday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD83.25 per barrel versus USD82.08 per barrel Friday night. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,809.78 an ounce from USD1,817.45 an ounce at Friday's close.

On Monday's macroeconomic calendar, from the U.S. at 1430 CET comes data on major durable goods orders and orders for goods excluding aviation and defense.

By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter

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