(Alliance News) - On Monday, European stock markets are expected to open with bullish trends as investors await monetary policy decisions by major central banks for this week for clues on the timing of interest rate cuts.

It is expected that most central banks, including the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England, will keep rates firm, while the Bank of Japan is expected--the conditional is a must--to abandon its negative interest rate policy.

Thus, the FTSE Mib is advancing 70.00 points, after closing in the green by 0.5 percent at 33,940.03 Friday night.

The Mid-Cap on Friday gained 0.3 percent to 47,009.24, the Small-Cap lost 0.8 percent to 27,318.67, and Italy Growth finished up 0.3 percent to 8,045.76.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 is advancing 3.80 points, Frankfurt's DAX 40 is advancing 18.80 points, and Paris' CAC 40 is moving around parity.

On the Mib on Friday evening, MPS did best of all by rising 4.3 percent. It was preceded by Pirelli and Banca Generali, up 3.7 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.

ERG also did well, up 0.6 percent. The company reported Wednesday that reported group net income was EUR179 million compared to EUR379 million in 2022. The adjusted one from continuing operations was EUR226 million compared to EUR129 million in 2022.

The board proposed a dividend of EUR1.00 per share, confirming the previous year's amount.

In 2023, adjusted revenues were EUR741 million, up from 2022 when they were EUR714 million

On the bottom closed Brunello Cucinelli, in the red by 8.0 percent. The company reported Thursday that it ended 2023 with a net profit of EUR123.8 million, up 42% from EUR87.2 million as of Dec. 31, 2022.

The company let it know that it proposed to pay a dividend of EUR0.91 per share from EUR0.65 in 2022.

Revenues in the period stood at EUR1.14 billion, up 24 percent from EUR919.7 million in 2022.

DiaSorin also turned red after publishing its annual results, down 4.1 percent. The company announced Friday that it ended 2023 with net income down to EUR159 million from EUR240 million as of December 31, 2022. Adjusted net income amounted to EUR224 million from EUR319 million in 2022.

Revenues in the period stood at EUR1.15 billion from EUR1.4 billion in 2022.

On the cadet segment, Saras -- in fractional red at EUR1.75 per share -- reported Friday that it ended 2023 with a reported net income of EUR313.9 million from EUR416.9 million in 2022.

The board of directors proposed the dividend of EUR0.15 down from EUR0.19 per share related to the 2022 budget.

Revenues are EUR11.44 billion down from EUR15.84 billion in 2022.

Webuild's board of directors -- down 4.1 percent -- approved the draft financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2023, which closed with adjusted net income attributable to the group of EUR236 million, effectively doubling the results achieved in fiscal 2022, when it was EUR118 million. The board is proposing a dividend of EUR0.071 per ordinary share, up 25 percent from 2022, and EUR0.824 per savings share.

Adjusted revenues, FY2023, stand at EUR10.0 billion from EUR8.16 billion for FY2022 and mark year-on-year growth of EUR1.83 billion, or 22 percent.

Salcef Group gave up 0.7 percent after announcing Thursday that it ended 2023, "the best year ever," with a profit of EUR62.1 million up 37 percent from EUR45.5 million in 2022. The board of directors proposed a dividend of EUR0.55 per share, up 10% from the previous year.

Revenues increased to EUR794.7 million from EUR565.6 million in 2022, up about 41%.

Dragging the list was El.En. in the green by 18 percent. The company approved its interim report as of March 31, 2023, with earnings before taxes showing a positive balance of EUR16.6 million or so and registering a decrease of 5.3% from EUR17.5 million as of March 31, 2022.

Consolidated sales were EUR161.4 million compared to EUR144.4 million in the first quarter of 2022.

Among smallcaps, Datalogic - down 12 percent - ended 2023 with a profit of EUR9.5 million down 69 percent from EUR30.1 million in 2022. The board of directors, the company announced Thursday, proposed a dividend of EUR0.12 per share from EUR0.30 a year earlier.

Revenues fell to EUR536.6 million from EUR654.6 million a year earlier, with declines in all geographies.

Safilo Group gave up 2.6 percent after announcing Thursday that it closed fiscal year 2023 with a loss of EUR24.6 million from a profit of EUR54.2 million in 2022.

algoWatt rose 2.9 percent after it appointed Domenico De Marinis as lead independent director on Thursday.

Among SMEs, Askoll EVA--up 4.6 percent--reported on Friday that it had received a new order from customer Cooltra, a leading European company in sustainable mobility on two wheels.

The agreement calls for the supply within of 200 eS2 Sharing scooters, which will be deployed in Italy, and 1,400 batteries.

The board of directors of Culti Milano -- in the red by 1.6 percent -- on Thursday approved its financial report for 2023 in which it reported a net profit of EUR1.0 million compared to EUR2.3 million in the same period the previous year.

Prior to the release of the results AATech rises about 12 percent.

Espe -- in the green by 3.9 percent -- announced Tuesday that it had concluded agreements with three major Independent Power Producers customers for the construction of ground-mounted photovoltaic plants on Italian territory totaling 59 MWp or about EUR31 million.

In New York on Friday evening, the Dow closed in the red by 0.5 percent, the Nasdaq gave up 1.0 percent, and the S&P 500 closed in the red by 0.7 percent.

Among Asian marketplaces, the Nikkei closed bullish by 2.7 percent, the Hang Seng is picking up 0.2 percent, while the Shanghai Composite scores a plus 1.0 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changes hands at USD1.0894 against USD1.0887 recorded in Friday's European stock close, while the pound is worth USD1.2734 from USD1.2735 on Friday evening.

Brent crude is worth USD85.73 per barrel versus USD85.42 per barrel at Friday's close. Gold, meanwhile, trades at USD2,149.32 an ounce from USD2,167.35 an ounce Friday night.

On Monday's economic calendar, the Spanish trade balance is published at 1000 CET and an hour later the Eurozone consumer price index and trade balance.

Among the companies listed in Piazza Affari, Industrie De Nora, Interpump Group and Zucchi, among others, are expected to report results.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News reporter

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