Italy - Factors to watch on Dec. 21
21/12/2020 05:00
The following factors could affect Italian markets on Monday.
Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot
vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).
For a complete list of diary events in Italy please click on
IT/DIA .
POLITICS
Italy will be placed under a nationwide lockdown for much of
the Christmas and New Year holiday, Prime Minister Giuseppe
Conte said on Friday, as the government looks to prevent a fresh
surge in coronavirus cases. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2IY5FI
Italy reported 352 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday
against 553 the day before, the health ministry said, while the
daily tally of new infections decreased to 15,104 from
16,308. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nS8N2IX007
Italy is suspending flights from Britain in response to a
new coronavirus strain spreading there, Health Minister Roberto
Speranza said on Sunday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2J00AR
Italy has detected a patient infected with the new strain of
the coronavirus also found in Britain, the health ministry said
on Sunday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nS8N2IX008
Fights within Italy's government sparked by criticism from
former Premier Matteo Renzi could delay the deployment of EU
funds, Minister for European Affairs Vincenzo Amendola told Il
Messaggero in an interview.
ECONOMY
The European Central Bank has complained to Italian Economy
Minister Roberto Gualtieri that measures to spur electronic
payments in the country undermined the goal of a neutral
approach to means of payment. L8N2IY54T
ISTAT releases November non-EU foreign trade data (0900
GMT).
Italy will likely widen its budget deficit again next year
to support its coronavirus-battered economy, Economy Minister
Roberto Gualtieri reiterated in an interview with La Stampa
published on Sunday. He added the move would not impact the
government's plans to reduce deficit after 2021 and, should a
planned vaccination roll-out succeed, will help Italy reach its
growth targets.
COMPANIES
FTSE share indexes revision effective as of Monday.
(*) MEDIASET MS.MI
The Italian broadcaster will press ahead with plans to
create a pan-European TV champion, regardless of whether it can
strike a deal to settle a dispute with its second-largest
shareholder Vivendi VIV.PA , its CEO was quoted as saying on
Monday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nS8N2IX009
Mediaset has been in talks with other broadcasters like
Discovery DISCA.O to pursue its European growth strategy,
which might re-accelerate soon, Corriere della Sera's insert
L'Economia reported on Monday.
INTESA SANPAOLO ISP.MI
Italy's no.1 bank said on Friday it had met early a 2021
target of cutting its gross impaired loans to 6% of total
lending after completing a 4.3 billion euro bad loan
securitisation that will tap the GACS state guarantee. With a
net value of 1.2 billion euros, the transaction allows Intesa to
offload the portfolio at book value. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2IY104
Ubi Banca, as well as the parent company Intesa, also
announced on Friday the sale of impaired loans for a gross value
of 800 million euros and a net value of around 400 million
euros.
Foreign markets remain a growth opportunity for Intesa, but
at the moment it does not see the conditions for any significant
moves, Chairman Gian Maria Gros-Pietro told Milano Finanza in an
interview published on Saturday. He confirmed Intesa was in
talks with supervisors following the easing of the dividend ban.
(*) ENI ENI.MI
The energy group said on Monday it had signed an agreement
for the acquisition of a 70% stake in offshore block 3 in the
United Arab Emirates. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2IZ03T
CREDITO VALTELLINESE PCVI.MI
Creval's investor Kairos considers Credit Agricole's
CAGR.PA takeover offer for the Italian lender as "inadequate",
Massimo Trabattoni, head of Italian equities at the asset
manager, told daily Il Sole 24 Ore. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2IZ06R
MONTE DEI PASCHI BMPS.MI
The bank's CEO will deliver its 2021-2025 strategic plan to
Italy's Treasury on Monday, il Messaggero said on Sunday.
The budget committee of the Chamber of Deputies on Sunday
approved without any changes the tax breaks Italy's government
designed to spur bank mergers and attract a potential buyer for
the loss-making bank. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2IW0LK
ENEL ENEI.MI
Enel is set to write a letter to the CDP, il Sole 24 Ore
said on Saturday, to ask whether it plans to exercise its right
of refusal on the planned sale of Enel's stake in Open Fiber to
Macquarie and take control of the broadband operator by
increasing its own 50% stake, or if not, to sit down at a table
with the Australian infrastructure fund to decide on Open
Fiber's future governance. The state lender will have 30 days
from the day it receives the letter to decide on the matter, the
paper added.
Shareholders at Enel Americas have approved the
reorganization of the company's renewable business in Central
and South America, Enel said late on Friday.
TELECOM ITALIA TLIT.MI
A group of phone operators active in the business and
wholesale segment, including Retelit, Colt, Intrend, Unidata and
Irideos, have asked for a meeting with the industry ministry to
oppose a potential creation of a network company controlled by
Telecom Italia, adding the government should only give its OK to
a project that would guarantee the independence between the
retail and wholesale markets, according to Il Sole 24 ore.
FIAT CHRYSLER FCHA.MI
Italy government has set aside 420 million euros to boost
incentives for buyers of less emitting cars, including electric
and hybrid vehicles but also latest generation diesel and petrol
cars with engines conforming to the Euro 6 emissions standards.
GENERALI GASI.MI
(*) Italy's top insurer is interested in buying Polish and
French assets put on sale by rival Aviva, Corriere della Sera's
insert L'Economia reported on Monday.
AM Best has affirmed the insurer's Financial Strength Rating
(FSR) 'A' (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings
'a+'. The outlook is stable. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nBIAbnkxj2
FIAT CHRYSLER FCHA.MI
Chief Executive Mike Manley will head the American
operations of Stellantis, the group to be created from the
merger between the Italian-American automaker and France's
Peugeot PEUP.PA , FCA Chairman John Elkann said on Friday.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2IY3DL
OVS OVS.MI
The clothing retailer said on Friday it had started
exclusive negotiations for the possible acquisition of Stefanel
brand and 23 stores of the troubled clothing group. The offer
provides for a total consideration of 3.2 million euros.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nBIAbnkxj2
ATLANTIA ATL.MI
State-lender CDP is considering buying 51% of Atlantia’s
Autostrade per l'Italia if valuation for all of the motorway
unit can be brought down to 7.5 billion euros, Corriere della
Sera said on Sunday.
Airport operator Aeroporti di Roma is working to boost the
offer of COVID-tested flights ahead of the upcoming summer
season and Tokyo could be the next destination covered, AdR CEO
Marco Troncone said, according to Il Sole 24 Ore on Saturday.
Italian toll-road operator ASTM ATMI.MI is ready to assist
CDP as an industrial partner should the state lender pursue its
planned investment in Atlantia's motorway unit Autostrade per
l'Italia, ASTM CEO Umberto Tosoni told La Stampa in an interview
published on Sunday.
ANIMA HOLDING ANIM.MI
The asset manager expects consolidated net profit this year
to be at least in line with the 145.8 million euros ($178.68
million) recorded the previous year, it said in a statement on
Saturday. In a separate interview with Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper,
Chief Executive Alessandro Melzi D'Eril said the company would
pay out half of 2020 net profits in dividends next year as it
had done with 2019 earnings. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2IZ08O
ERG ERG.MI
Italian energy group Erg is considering the sale of
hydroelectric assets and a natural gas plant that could have a
total value of more than 1 billion euros as the company pushes
to accelerates its growth in the wind and solar power segment,
MF said on Saturday.
JUVENTUS JUVE.MI , LAZIO LAZI.MI , ROMA ASR.MI
Italy's top flight soccer league Serie A aims to raise at
least 1.15 billion euros ($1.4 billion) per season over the next
three years from the sale of pay-TV rights for its home market,
two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2IY1OY
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, taking his Serie A tally for
the season to 12 in only nine games, as defending champions
Juventus cruised to a 4-0 win at Parma on Saturday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2IZ0J7
(*) Atalanta rediscovered the form that made them Serie A's most
entertaining side last season as they hit back with four
second-half goals to thump AS Roma 4-1 on Sunday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2J00IF
(*) Lazio brushed aside their dismal home form in Serie A when
goals from Ciro Immobile and Luis Alberto gave them a 2-0 win
over Napoli on Sunday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2J00LD
(*) MAIRE TECNIMONT MTCM.MI
The Italian engineering and construction company clinched a
deal with Japan's Jfe Engineering Corporation to produce
hydrogen from waste, Chairman Fabrizio Di Amato told La Stampa
on Monday.
The company said on Monday it was awarded an EPCC contract
for the construction of new petrochemical derivatives units in
India for an overall value of around $255 million. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2IY12J
NEWLAT NWLF.MI - The Italian food group signed an
agreement for the lease of its milk and dairy business unit to
Centrale del Latte d'Italia urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nBIA72PBLq
DE' LONGHI DLG.MI
Trades ex-dividend of 0.54 euro per share.
ALITALIA CAITLA.UL
A new, downsized Alitalia aims to break even in terms of
core profit in 2022, excluding aircraft costs, the state-owned
carrier's CEO-elect said on Friday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2IY4G2
The company's management is to meet with unions this week to
discuss the new business, widely criticised by the labour
groups, several papers said over the weekend.
DIARY
Rome, Bank of Italy holds conference on "Ownership,
Governance, Management & Firm Performance" (to Dec. 22);
Governor Ignazio Visco delivers opening address (1200 GMT).
((Milan newsroom, +39 02 6612 9507, fax +39 02 801149,
milan.newsroom@news.reuters.com))
For Italian market data and news, click on codes in
brackets:
20 biggest gainers (in percentage)............ .PG.MI
20 biggest losers (in percentage)............. .PL.MI
FTSE IT allshare index .FTITLMS
FTSE Mib index........ .FTMIB
FTSE Allstars index... .FTSTAR
FTSE Mid Cap index.... .FTITMC
Block trades.......... .BLK.MI
Stories on Italy...... IT-LEN
For pan-European market data and news, click on codes in
brackets:
European Equities speed guide................... EUR/EQUITY
FTSEurofirst 300 index.............................. .FTEU3
DJ STOXX index...................................... .STOXX
Top 10 STOXX sectors........................... .PGL.STOXXS
Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors...................... .PGL.STOXXES
Top 10 Eurofirst 300 sectors................... .PGL.FTEU3S
Top 25 European pct gainers....................... .PG.PEUR
Top 25 European pct losers........................ .PL.PEUR
Main stock markets:
Dow Jones............... .DJI Wall Street report ..... .N
Nikkei 225............. .N225 Tokyo report............ .T
FTSE 100............... .FTSE London report........... .L
Xetra DAX............. .GDAXI Frankfurt market stories .F
CAC-40................. .FCHI Paris market stories... .PA
World Indices..................................... 0#.INDEX
Reuters survey of world bourse outlook......... EQUITYPOLL1
Western European IPO diary.......................... WEUIPO
European Asset Allocation........................ EUR/ASSET
Reuters News at a Glance: Equities............... TOP/EQE
Main currency report:............................... FRX/