Italy - Factors to watch on December 18
18/12/2025 05:00
The following factors could affect Italian markets on Thursday. 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 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday said using Russia's assets frozen in Europe to help Ukraine without a solid legal basis would hand Moscow "the first victory since the start of the war". Addressing parliament, Meloni said that finding a legal way to use them remains "far from easy". Italy's Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld an acquittal verdict for Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini in a migrant kidnapping case, meaning no further appeals can be brought against the decision. ECONOMY Italy and France on Wednesday said they were not ready to back a trade agreement between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, dealing a blow to hopes of finalising the deal in the coming days. COMPANIES (*) NEXI NEXII.MI The payments group's board, expected to meet before the end of the year, will likely oppose the sale of a majority stake in its digital banking solutions business to U.S. private equity fund TPG, daily Il Corriere della Sera reported on Thursday. (*) MONTE DEI PASCHI BMPS.MI, MEDIOBANCA MDBI.MI The Tuscan bank's CEO Luigi Lovaglio aims to merge some of the lender's assets - such as retail banking - with those of the recently acquired merchant bank. However, shareholder Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone and Mediobanca's CEO, Alessandro Melzi d'Eril, oppose the plan, according to daily la Repubblica. The ECB is expected to approve Monte Dei Paschi's new bylaws in late December or early January, daily MF reported on Thursday. OVS OVS.MI The Italian clothing retailer on Wednesday reported an adjusted EBITDA of 50.6 million euros for the third quarter. Adjusted net sales were 451.9 million euros in the period. (*) CAMPARI CPRI.MI The Italian drinks group said on Thursday it had reached an agreement to sell Averna and Zedda Piras to Italian spirits company Illva Saronno for 100 million euros. (*) ACEA ACE.MI The regional utility said on Thursday it had agreed to buy water services company Aquanexa from fund Algebris giving the company an enterprise value of 205 million euros. GEOX GEO.MI The Italian shoe maker on Wednesday reaffirmed its operating margin forecast for 2026 but estimated "significantly lower" sales for next year compared to the figures outlined in its 2025-2029 business plan. Sales are seen to decline at low single-digit compared to 2025 estimates. STMICROELECTRONICS STMMI.MI Extraordinary shareholders' meeting (1600 GMT). DIARY Brussels, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni takes part in EU summit (to December 19). ((Milan newsroom, e-mail: reutersitaly@thomsonreuters.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/