(Alliance News) - On Tuesday, major European stock markets are expected to be in positive territory on a day full of macroeconomic cues ahead of inflation and GDP data in some of the most relevant Eurozone economies.

Thus, IG futures give the FTSE Mib in the green by 0.2 percent or up 57.5 points, after closing in the green by 0.1 percent at 34,296.31.

Paris' CAC 40 is expected up 0.1 percent or up 7.9 points, Frankfurt's DAX 40 is given in the green by 0.1 percent or up 10.5 points, and London's FTSE 100 is expected up 0.2 percent or up 18.4 points.

Among other listings in Milan on Monday, Mid-Cap rises 1.0% to 47,603.18, Small-Cap picks up 1.4% to 29,080.39, and Italy Growth closes up 0.6% to 8,225.54.

In macroeconomic news, preliminary data showed the French economy grew 0.2% in the first quarter, beating market forecasts and fourth-quarter data by 0.1%. This was the strongest quarterly pace of expansion since the second quarter of 2023, thanks to a strong contribution from final domestic demand.

From Asia, Chinese factory activity grew for the second consecutive month in April. The purchasing managers' index stood at 50.4, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, slightly above the level of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Although down from March, the figure beat Bloomberg analysts' forecast of 50.3 and marked a continuation of growth after a five-month slump that began in late 2023.

In Japan, industrial production rose 3.8 percent month-on-month in March, beating market estimates of 3.4 percent and reversing a 0.6 percent decline in the previous month, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by the Ministry of the Interior.

Back in Italy, on Monday on the Mib, A2A led the list and closed in the green by 4.6 percent.

ERG also did well, in the green by 2.4 percent. The company announced Wednesday that it had finalized, through its subsidiary ERG USA Holding, the closing with Apex Clean Energy Holdings for the acquisition of 75 percent of the portfolio consisting of a wind and a solar plant in the U.S., both in operation, totaling 317 MW of installed capacity and an estimated production of about 1 TWh.

The company explained that the transaction is the ERG Group's first step into the overseas renewables market and represents a unique opportunity to continue the growth of the business portfolio, increasing its geographical and technological diversification.

Iveco Group -- in the green by 2.6 percent -- announced Monday that FPT Industrial has signed a global partnership agreement with Longen Power on the export of engines to different regions of the world, starting a new chapter of cooperation.

FPT Industrial is an Iveco Group brand dedicated to the design, manufacture and sale of powertrains and solutions for on-road and off-road vehicles, as well as marine and power generation applications.

Amplifon is up 0.7 percent after announcing Monday that it has completed the acquisition of Hearing Instruments, and Precision Hearing Aid, two companies owned by one of Miracle-Ear's major franchisees to which it belongs about 35 stores in the U.S., the world's largest hearing care market.

The acquired stores are located in Pennsylvania, generate annual sales of about USD20 million and employ about 80 people.

Down goes Tenaris, which gave up 0.6 percent. On Thursday the company reported results for the first quarter of the year, which ended with a profit of USD750 million, down from USD1.13 billion in the first quarter of 2023. Revenues increased to USD3.44 billion from USD4.14 billion in the same period.

Among the bearish performers were STMicroelectronics, down 1.3 percent, and banks UniCredit and BPM, down 1.2 percent and 0.8 percent, respectively.

On the cadet segment, d'Amico International Shipping rose 6.2 percent. The company announced Friday that its Irish operating subsidiary d'Amico Tankers DAC has entered into a construction contract with Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding, China, to purchase two additional new LR1 'Long Range' tankers -- 75,000 deadweight tons -- at a contract price of USD56.2 million each.

Saras rose 0.2 percent. The company announced Friday that, in connection with Vitol's prospective acquisition of a representative stake of about 35 percent of Saras' share capital, the Prime Minister's Office issued a decree regarding the exercise of special powers - golden power - "containing prescriptions that do not impede the completion of the transaction."

Therefore, the statement says, one of the related conditions precedent for the completion of the transaction is fulfilled.

Webuild - in the green by 5.4 percent - announced Monday that its U.S. subsidiary Lane has been awarded the USD110 million contract in the U.S. for the construction of the Newsport News section of the "I-64 HREL highway project in the city of Hampton, Virginia.

The new contract follows the recent announcement of the acquisition in Florida of the USD299 million project, also 100% Lane, to widen the Seminole Expressway/SR 417.

Among smallcaps, Itway - in the red by 1.4 percent - ended 2023 with a pretax loss of EUR481,000 from one of EUR362,000 as of Dec. 31, 2022, while net loss was EUR330,000 from one of EUR348,000.

Revenues for the period stood at EUR49.1 million from EUR46.7 million in 2022.

Elica--up 1.1 percent--on Wednesday signaled that it will start a new buyback plan from April 26 for a maximum number of buyable shares of 1 million.

Among SMEs, Company of the Caribbean rose 2.9%. The company reported Thursday that revenues for the first three months rose 4.2% year-on-year to EUR11.7 million from EUR11.2 million in the same period a year earlier.

Poligrafici Printing -- down 1.6 percent -- reported Wednesday that it ended 2023 with consolidated revenues of EUR24.1 million from EUR28.0 million as of Dec. 31, 2022.

Consolidated profit for the year was EUR1.5 million from EUR2.4 million in 2022. The company proposed to pay a dividend of EUR0.03 per share from EUR0.0295 in 2022.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed in the green 1.0 percent to 38,304.91, the Hang Seng is in the green 0.1 percent to 17,760.71, and the Shanghai Composite is in the red 0.1 percent to 3,110.71.

In New York on Monday, the Dow Jones closed in the green by 0.4 percent at 38,386.09, the S&P finished in the green by 0.3 percent at 5,116.17, and the Nasdaq closed up 0.4 percent at 15,983.08.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0695 from USD1.0716 on Friday in closing European equities while the pound was worth USD1.2529 from USD1.2551 on Friday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD87.02 a barrel from USD87.22 a barrel Friday night and gold trades at USD2,333.65 an ounce from USD2,349.25 an ounce Friday night.

Tuesday's macroeconomic calendar features Spanish GDP at 0900 CEST, which is released an hour later in Italy and Germany.

At 0955 CEST in Germany the unemployment figure is released.

In the UK, at 1030 CEST, mortgage data is released, and at 1100 CEST in Italy it is the turn of inflation data, as well as for the Eurozone.

In the afternoon, overseas, at 1500 CEST, housing price data are released in the US.

Among companies listed in Piazza Affari, results from BasicNet, FAE Technology, Seri Industrial and Stellantis, among others, are expected.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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