(Alliance News) - On Monday, the major European stock markets closed in positive territory, with Milan putting on the pace and closing as the best above 28,500, while commentators' eyes are already on the European Central Bank's rate decision scheduled for Thursday.

Thus, the FTSE Mib closed up 1.0 percent to 28,525.10, the Mid-Cap up 0.2 percent to 41,378.97, as did the Small-Cap to 26,775.58, and Italy Growth up 0.3 percent to 8,778.67.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 ends up 0.5 percent, Paris' CAC 40 gains 0.7 percent and Frankfurt's DAX 40 closes in the green by 0.1 percent.

On the main index in Piazza Affari, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena rises 3.4 percent and leads the banking sector, with Intesa Sanpaolo gaining 2.3 percent and BPER Banca, up 2.4 percent.

Intesa Sanpaolo announced Friday the final results of its cash repurchase offer for all or part of its EUR750 million Additional Tier 1 Notes perpetual bond.

As of the expiration of the offer, the total nominal amount of existing securities validly offered for repurchase amounted to EUR503.1 million, representing approximately 67 percent of the total nominal amount of EUR750.0 million of existing securities outstanding.

Banca Generali--up 0.3 percent--reported Friday that net inflows for August were EUR247 million, up 20 percent from the same period last year. Since the beginning of the year, inflows stand at EUR3.9 billion.

Eni is up 1.0 percent after announcing that it successfully placed an offering with a total face value of EUR1 billion of senior unsecured sustainability-linked convertible bonds.

FinecoBank rises 0.6 percent. The company posted robust net inflows of EUR648 million in August from EUR343 million a year ago, confirming the acceleration of the bank's growth path thanks to both new customer acquisition and a solid push into investments.

Also doing well was Unipol, up 0.4 percent, after it announced-along with UnipolSai in the green by 0.4 percent on the Mid-that it had initiated related buyback programs for its own ordinary shares earlier in the day.

Unipol launched a buyback for a total of 385,000 shares, which can be purchased by the company itself and its subsidiary UnipolSai: Unipol's program relates to a maximum of 85,000 shares in the company equal to about 0.1 percent of its share capital, for a maximum period of 18 months and a spending limit of EUR300 million; UnipolSai's program, on the other hand, relates to a maximum of 300,000 Unipol shares, has a maximum validity of 18 months and a spending limit of EUR100 million.

UnipolSai let it be known that the program is for a maximum number of 850,000 shares, for a maximum term of 18 months and an expenditure limit of EUR100 million.

Of note, Saipem - in the green by 0.9% - announced that it has been awarded two new contracts for offshore activities in the Ivory Coast and Italy, with a total value of EUR850 million. Also of note, Capital Fund Management raised its short position on Saipem to 1.12% from 1.0%.

On the Mid-Cap, ENAV rises 0.4 percent after it disclosed Friday that it has signed four new contracts through its subsidiaries IDS AirNav and Techno Sky to supply systems to optimize flight data and improve airspace efficiency, with India, Norway, Romania, and Kosovo.

The total amount is about EUR11 million.

Webuild advances 1.1 percent after it reported Thursday that it continues to grow in Australia and expand into segments new to the group. Australian subsidiary Clough won the AUD420 million contract to build the Shiplift at the Port of Darwin on Australia's north coast. The project involves the construction of a modern system for the lifting, ground handling and launching of small and large vessels, which will consolidate the coastal city's role as a major hub for ship maintenance and support services in the region.

On the Small-Cap segment, Mondo TV -- up 3.1 percent -- on Monday announced it had signed an agreement with Hangzhou Youku Culture Entertainment Co, China's leading Video on Demand content provider and part of the well-known Alibaba global operating group.

The agreement licenses the new series Grisu, co-produced with ZDF Studios, for 52 12-minute episodes in China.

Beghelli -- in the red by 1.7 percent -- disclosed Monday that it had approved results for the first half of the year in which the company posted a loss of EUR1.6 million, from a profit of EUR450,000 in the same period a year earlier.

Consolidated sales as of June 30 stood at EUR82.4 million, up 10 percent from EUR74.8 million in the first half of 2022.

Eurotech's board of directors -- in the green by 1.1 percent -- reviewed and approved the results for the first six months, a period that ended with a net loss of EUR940,000, compared with a loss of EUR4.26 million in the first six months of 2022.

Revenues for the first six months of 2023 stood at EUR47.9 million compared to EUR34.74 million in the first six months of 2022.

Among SMEs, NVP was affected by the exchanges. The company announced Saturday that it has obtained a medium- to long-term KPI ESG Linked financing in the total amount of EUR1 million from Crédit Agricole Italia and guaranteed by SACE.

The transaction, the company points out in a note, aims "to support investments for the production of images related to international events of WTA Media and Dazn Group Limited UK, as well as to boost production capacity to meet the demands of foreign clients."

Ecosuntek moves ahead 2.6 percent after announcing Friday that it reported first-half production value of EUR253.0 million from EUR286.3 million in the same period of 2022, down about 12 percent.

Civitanavi Systems is in the green by 0.5 percent Monday after announcing the opening of a new state-of-the-art plant at the heart of the aerospace and defense industry in Filton, County Bristol, UK.

In New York, at the height of trading Monday, the Dow is in the green by 0.1 percent, the Nasdaq rises 0.5 percent, and the S&P 500 gains 0.3 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changes hands at USD1.0745 versus USD1.0712 in Friday's European equities close, while the pound is worth USD1.2528 instead, from USD1.2476 on Friday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD90.35 per barrel versus USD90.58 per barrel at Friday's close. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,944.75 an ounce from USD1,945.15 an ounce Friday night.

On Tuesday's economic calendar at 0800 CEST unemployment rate data from the United Kingdom are expected and from Germany, at the same time, it is the turn of the wholesale price index.

At 0900 CEST in Spain the consumer price index and producer price index are published, while two hours later, again in Germany, the ZEW index of economic conditions in the country is released and in the Eurozone the ZEW index of confidence sentiment is published.

On the bond front, in Italy at 1110 CEST an auction of 12-month BOTs is expected.

From overseas, at 1200 CEST, comes the report on small business optimism, while at 1800 CEST the EIA's near-term energy forecast is expected.

Among publicly traded companies, results are expected from B&C Speakers, Cembre, Circle, Garofalo Health Care, Giglio Group, SAES Getters, and Tamburi Investment Partners, among others.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to redazione@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News IS Italian Service Ltd. All rights reserved.