Italy - Factors to watch on Feb. 5

UnipolSai Assicurazioni SpA

05/02/2024 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
    Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti is eyeing a
role as European commissioner, Il Corriere della Sera reported
on Saturday. When asked about the issue in an interview to the
same newspaper on Sunday, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio
Tajani said that Giorgetti would be 'an excellent European
commissioner' but that the government must take such a decision
in a collegial way. 
    Italian junior culture minister and art critic Vittorio
Sgarbi, under investigation over possession of a stolen
painting, said on Friday he was quitting because Rome's
antitrust body was trying to curb his unofficial duties.
    
    ECONOMY
    The Italian economy will grow by 0.8% this year, below the
1.2% officially targeted by the government in September, the
parliamentary budget watchdog (UPB) said on Friday.
    January services PMI HCOB data (0845 GMT).
    
    COMPANIES
    STELLANTIS  STLAM.MI 
    France is considering a merger between the Franco-Italian
carmaker and Renault  RENA.PA  to strengthen its grip on the
sector, counter Chinese and German competition and make it more
expensive for Rome to invest in Stellantis in order to defend
Italy's interests and employment levels, Italian daily Il
Messaggero reported on Sunday, citing financial sources.
    A spokesman for Stellantis said: "We do not comment on the
unfounded speculations of Il Messaggero". 
    
    TELECOM ITALIA (TIM)  TLIT.MI 
    The Italian government is considering whether to meet
France's Vivendi  VIV.PA  to find a shared position ahead of
April 23, when the board of the group will be renewed, Milano
Finanza reported, citing source close to the Prime Minister's
office.
    TIM's competitors have sent letters to European antitrust
authorities raising concerns over the sale of the phone group's
fixed line network, which could put in a position of 
disadvantage all the other telecom groups, Il Sole 24 Ore
reported on Saturday.  
    According to La Stampa on Sunday, the EU antitrust authority
may take longer than expected to give the green light to the TIM
fixed line network deal.  
    
    INTESA SANPAOLO  ISP.MI 
    The Italian lender is a "fundamental client" for Intrum
 INTRUM.ST , which has no intention of leaving Italy, one of its
four main markets, the President and Chief Executive of the
Swedish debt servicing firm told Il Sole 24 Ore in an interview
published on Saturday. Andres Rubio added that Italy was an
attractive market where the group wants to invest and grow and
would consider M&A operations, though "being selective".
    The outgoing Chairman of the Intesa's shareholder Compagnia
di San Paolo, Francesco Profumo, is open to consider a proposal
to become chairman of the lender, he told Il Corriere della Sera
on Sunday.      
    
    BANCA POPOLARE DI SONDRIO  BPSI.MI , UNIPOL  UNPI.MI   
    The lender and its biggest shareholder, Italian insurer 
Unipol Gruppo  UNPI.MI , could agree on a shared slate of
candidates ahead of the renewal of five members of its board on
April 27, Il Sole 24 Ore and Il Messaggero reported on Saturday,
citing comments from bank's CEO Mario Alberto Pedranzini.    
    
    ENI  ENI.MI  
    Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said on
Friday it had signed a memorandum of understanding with ENI to
accelerate its decarbonisation programmes.
    
    ENEL  ENEI.MI  
    Italy will invest in Enel's photovoltaic panel factory in
Sicily, supporting its plan to boost production and become
Europe's main site for solar panels, Prime Minister Giorgia
Meloni said on Saturday.
    
    SAFILO  SFLG.MI  
    The eyewear maker said on Friday it signed an agreement to
buy a minority stake in Spaarkly, an e-commerce company which
specialises in augmented reality technologies.
    
    M&A
    Italian operator Wind Tre on Friday agreed to buy all the
assets held by operator OpNet, including its national standalone
5G network, which covers 75% of the country's population, OpNet
said in a statement on Saturday.
    
    UNICREDIT  CRDI.MI 
    Releases Q4 and FY results, followed by presentation with
analysts (0900 GMT).    
    
    H-FARM  HFARM.MI 
    Starts capital increase, ends on Feb. 23.
    
    DIARY
    Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni continues her visit to Japan;
ends on Feb. 6. On Monday bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime
Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
    Rome, 9th edition of Rome MED Dialogues; foreign Minister
Antonio Tajani delivers opening address at session "The role of
Italian Growth Diplomacy in the Mediterranean" (0830 GMT),
followed by press point.
    Rome, tax revenue agency presents 2023 results  and future
prospects with Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, Deputy
Economy Minister Maurizio Leo, tax revenue agency Director
Ernesto Maria Ruffini.
    Milan, Aspenia talks holds panel "The outlook for the
international economy: markets, businesses and political risks
in an election year" with Pirelli  PIRC.MI  CEO Marco Tronchetti
Provera, state-baked lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP)
President Giovanni Gorno Tempini (1700 GMT).
    Bergamo, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo
Salvini attends start of works of the new train station at Orio
al Serio airport-Bergamo and doubling of the Ponte San
Pietro-Bergamo railway line (0900 GMT).
    Cremona, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo
Salvini attends handover of the first historic car number plate
(1130 GMT).
    
    ((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/