(Alliance News) - Europe's major stock markets closed the day in the green on Friday, as traders assess U.S. producer price inflation data released in the afternoon and the aftermath of tensions in the Middle East.

"Rising oil prices following the bombing of Houthi military targets by the U.S. and U.K. in Yemen and a better-than-expected expansion in U.K. GDP growth on a monthly basis helped the FTSE 100 close positively on Friday," said Axel Rudolph, senior market analyst at online trading platform IG.

"European stock indexes also performed better than U.S. stock indexes, dragged down by disappointing bank earnings and Citibank's job cut announcements on the first day of the fourth quarter earnings season. However, they recovered despite an unexpected drop in U.S. producer prices."

Thus, the FTSE Mib ends up 0.7 percent to 30,470.55, the Mid-Cap advances 1.0 percent to 44,378.03, the Small-Cap is in the green 1.0 percent to 28,018.92, and Italy Growth is up 0.2 percent to 8,257.82.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 closes up 0.6 percent, Paris' CAC 40 rises 1.0 percent, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 finished up 0.9 percent.

On the Mib, Banca Generali, in the green by 1.8 percent, reported Thursday that it recorded inflows of EUR834 million in December, bringing the full-year figure to EUR5.86 billion, up 3 percent year-on-year.

December also consolidated the recovery of managed and insurance solutions compared to previous months, with EUR256 million in new flows. At the product level, financial containers raised EUR131 million in the month -- and EUR699 million in the year --, confirming it as the solution that best meets the needs of private clients in terms of diversification and customization offered.

Nanoco Group PLC on Friday said it signed a statement of work with "significant" joint development activities with STMicroelectronics, which closes down 0.5 percent.

Terna ends on top with 3.6 percent. On Tuesday it announced that it has successfully launched a single-tranche, fixed-rate bond issue totaling EUR850 million. With a maturity of 7 years and maturing on January 17, 2031, it will pay an annual coupon of 3.50 percent per year and will be issued at a price of 99.385 percent, with a spread of 100 basis points over midswap.

Stellantis-which closes on the bottom and leaves 0.8 percent on the parterre-announced Friday that its venture capital fund, Stellantis Ventures, has announced its participation as a strategic investor in Tiamat, a French company that develops and commercializes sodium-ion battery technology.

Azimut Holding -- in the green by 2.0 percent -- estimates it ended 2023 with adjusted net income of between EUR445 million and EUR455 million, in line with its full-year target of EUR450 million.

As disclosed Thursday by the management company, full-year net inflows were EUR6.9 billion, also in line with the internal target, while total assets hit a record high of EUR90.8 billion. About 46 percent of inflows, or EUR3.2 billion, were directed into managed products.

On the Mid-Cap, PharmaNutra's board of directors--up 7.8 percent--approved the group's preliminary sales figures for fiscal 2023 on Thursday, reporting consolidated net revenues of EUR100.2 million, up 21 percent from full-year 2022, when they were EUR82.7 million. Revenues in the Italian market increased 15 percent to EUR68 million from EUR59.2 million in 2022 while overseas revenues grew 37 percent to EUR32.2 million from EUR23.5 million in 2022.

Fincantieri closes at the top, up 8.8 percent.

Credem - up 0.5 percent - announced Thursday evening that it had issued a new bond issue, aimed at institutional and professional investors, for

an amount of EUR500 million. The issue, in the "Social Covered Bond" format, will go to support social sustainability activities and highlights the group's commitment to ESG.

LU-VE gives up 0.5 percent after reporting on Friday that turnover produced as of December 31 reached EUR606.8 million, up 0.3 percent from December 31, 2022.

On a like-for-like basis, the change would have been negative 0.7 percent.

The order backlog amounted to EUR156.2 million, down 17 percent from December 31, 2022.

On the Small-Cap, Safilo Group closes up 12 percent after announcing Thursday that it has early renewed its eyewear licensing agreement with Hugo Boss for the Hugo and Boss collections until December 2030.

Only Services Italy does better, advancing 17 percent.

Unieuro - up 2.6 percent - announced Friday that it had approved results for the first nine months of the year 2023-2024 ended Nov. 30, which reported revenues of EUR1.92 billion from EUR2.04 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Banca Sistema -- in the green by 0.2 percent -- reported Friday that it had consolidated its Factoring business and ended 2023 with volumes up 26 percent year-on-year, with the amount of loans purchased exceeding EUR5.5 billion.

EuroGroup Laminations, in the red by 0.6 percent, disclosed Friday the inauguration of a new production plant in Querétaro, home of Eurotranciatura Mexico, with a total investment to be made of about EUR50 million.

Among SMEs, Lindbergh rises 7.9 percent after reporting that Sun Mountain Fund LP, a leading institutional investor based in Boston, US, has achieved a stake of about 3.9 percent in Lindbergh's share capital, holding 328,000 common shares.

Sun Mountain is managed by Christian Solberg and Will Thorndike, author of the book "The Outsiders."

Specifically, after buying some blocks of shares from other institutional investors in late December, Sun Mountain bought 70,000 ordinary shares - or 0.8 percent of Lindbergh's share capital - on the market yesterday at a price per share of EUR2.20, for a countervalue of EUR154,000.

Good UCapital24, advancing 15 percent, followed by Jonix, up 13 percent, and CleanBnB, up 11 percent.

Portobello--down 1.6 percent--reported Thursday that the board of directors has set the terms of the EUR8.0 million capital increase to be offered under option to shareholders. A total of 1.1 million new ordinary shares will be issued, with a subscription price of EUR7.00 per share.

In New York, the Dow is down 0.6 percent, the Nasdaq is down 0.1 percent, and the S&P 500 is down 0.1 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changes hands at USD1.0962 against USD1.0943 recorded at Thursday's European stock close, while the pound is worth USD1.2747 from USD1.2704 last night.

Brent crude is worth USD78.66 per barrel versus USD78.74 per barrel at Thursday's close. Gold, meanwhile, trades at USD2,052.10 an ounce from USD2,019.55 an ounce last night.

Monday's economic calendar calls for the German wholesale price index at 0800 CET, and at 1000 CET the Italian trade balance is expected.

At the same time, Germany's annual GDP is expected while at 1100 CET from the Eurozone industrial production and trade balance are expected.

In the afternoon, at 1430 CET from Canada, motor vehicle sales and wholesale sales will be released while at 1455 CET French BTF auctions are expected.

In Piazza Affari, no particular announcements are expected.

By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter

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