(Alliance News) - European futures mark a bearish path as they await the bell to ring for the first session of August.

Among economic data, Japan's au Jibun Bank manufacturing purchasing managers' index released Tuesday dropped to 49.6 points in July from 49.8 in June. Sector contraction also registered in China, with the Caixin index falling to 49.2 points in July from 50.5 in June.

Thus, the FTSE Mib, marks a contraction of 10.00 points, after closing in the green by 0.5 percent at 29,644.71 last night.

The Mid-Cap finished up 0.3 percent to 42,896.26, the Small-Cap rallied 0.5 percent to 27,189.78, and Italy Growth posted a red 0.1 percent to 9,076.13.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 is in the red by 6.80 points, Paris' CAC 40 is giving up 10.30 points, and Frankfurt's DAX is retreating 23.50 points.

On the highest-capitalization list in Piazza Affari last night, Leonardo led the group with a 3.7 percent rise. The board of directors on Friday unanimously reviewed and approved the results for the first half of the year, which closed with a net profit of EUR208 million from EUR267 million in the comparable period.

This reflects compared to the ordinary net result -- of EUR197 million from EUR267 million in the comparison period -- the EUR11 million gain related to the sale of the ATM business by Selex ES, Llc.

The banking sector also did well: the pool formed by Banco BPM, Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit - in the green by 1.3 percent, 0.8 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively - assisted by SACE's SupportItalia Guarantee, provided the Goglio Spa group, a leading packaging company, with a EUR45 million loan that will be used to optimize working capital management.

Goglio is a historic industrial group established in 1850 and the protagonist of a development that has led it to become an established reference point in the packaging sector.

Pirelli & C closed 1.4 percent in the red after announcing Monday that the shareholders' meeting appointed the board of directors for the years until 2025, determining the number of members at 15, nine of whom are independent. Jian Jiao was appointed chairman of the board.

Saipem gave up 1.6 percent and is the only oil stock to retreat on the Mib: Tenaris took home 0.9 percent and Eni 1.7 percent.

On the cadet segment, Caltagirone came close to the top with a 3.5 percent gain after announcing Friday that its board of directors reviewed and approved its results for the first six months of the year, reporting revenues of EUR976.3 million up 1.4 percent from EUR962.5 million in the same period last year. EBITDA amounted to EUR200.4 million up 42 percent from EUR141.2 million in the first half of 2022.

Better did only De' Longhi, up 4.2 percent.

Saras, up 0.6 percent, closed the first half with a net income of EUR122.3 million compared to EUR292.5 million in the same period last year.

Piaggio also did well, up 2.9 percent. The Vespa company last week reported that it closed the first half with revenues of EUR1.17 billion, the highest ever for the period, up 11 percent from EUR1.05 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Fincantieri finished up 1.8 percent after letting it know it had been awarded a EUR211 million contract for the mid-life modernization of the Italian and French Horizon-class frigates.

Industrie De Nora ended at the bottom, in the red by 6.8 percent after letting it know Monday that it posted a net profit of EUR46.7 million in the first half of the year, up 18 percent from EUR39.7 million in the same period a year earlier. Adjusted Ebitda, on the other hand, is EUR86.1 million, down 16 percent from EUR102.3 million in the first half of 2022. Revenues are EUR420.4 million, up 2.4 percent from EUR410.5 million recorded in the first half of 2022.

On Small-Cap, the board of Monrif -- which closed up 0.7 percent -- on Monday approved the financial report for the first half of the year, which ended with consolidated revenues are EUR71.7 million compared to EUR74.8 million for the same period in 2022.

"As of June 30, consolidated revenues included a total of EUR3.7 million in revenues related to one-time contributions received from the hotel sector and revenues related to the Royal Garden Hotel, which was sold by the Group at the end of 2022," the company note specified.

On the other hand, D'Amico advanced 3.0 percent, after closing a good half-year with a net profit of USD99.8 million from USD19.2 million in the same period last year. The board of directors proposed the distribution of a dividend of USD0.0153 per share.

Biesse closed in the green by 1.4 percent, with new price at EUR12.25 per share. The company reported Friday that it closed the first half of the year with almost stable year-on-year revenues, at EUR418.2 million from EUR419.1 million in the same period last year. Profit on a half-year basis was also stable, rising to EUR19.5 million from EUR19.4 million in the first six months of the year.

Among SMEs, the board of Culti Milano -- in the red by 2.9 percent -- on Monday approved its first-half results, which closed with a net loss of EUR101,000 from last year's EUR870,000 profit in the same time frame.

Total revenues amounted to EUR11.1 million up slightly from EUR10.8 million in the same period last year.

Altea Green Power gave up 0.3 percent. The company reported on Friday that in the first half of the year it achieved a value of production between EUR8.5 million and EUR9.5 million, up from EUR7.5 million recorded in the same period in 2022. Ebitda was between EUR5 and EUR5.5 million, up from EUR1.8 million in the same period of 2022.

Esautomotion, on the other hand, picked up 1.3 percent after good half-year numbers released Friday night. Revenues were EUR19.2 million, up 17 percent from the same period last year.

Cofle finished 2.4% in the red. The company reported Friday that first-half revenues rose to EUR32.2 million from EUR27.5 million in the same period last year.

In New York overnight Europe, the Dow Jones closed in the green by 0.3 percent, while the S&P and Nikkei both advanced 0.2 percent.

Among Asian exchanges, the Hang Seng headed toward closing in the red by 0.7 percent, the Shanghai Composite gave up 0.2 percent, while the Nikkei closed the session up 0.9 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0992 against USD1.1019 in Monday's European equities close while the pound was worth USD1.2826 from USD1.2857 on Monday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD84.95 per barrel versus USD85.53 per barrel at Monday's close. Gold, meanwhile, trades at USD1,956 an ounce from USD1,970.39 an ounce last night.

On Tuesday's macroeconomic calendar, the manufacturing purchasing managers' index in Italy will be released at 0945 CEST, followed by the French and German indices five minutes apart. From the Eurozone, however, it is due at 1000 CEST and from UK at 1030 CEST.

The unemployment figure, on the other hand, comes from Germany at 0955 CEST, at 1000 CEST from Italy while from the Eurozone it will come out at 1100 CEST.

In the afternoon, from the U.S. is the manufacturing purchasing managers' index at 1545 CEST, followed by the ISM index at 1600 CEST.

In Piazza Affari, several results are expected, including those of Banca Mediolanum, FinecoBank, MFE-MediaForEurope and Pininfarina.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News senior reporter

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