(Alliance News) - On Friday, Piazza Affari, after opening briefly in a bullish range, moved around the parity line, with the point bar in the 33,700 area.
Investor attention is monopolized by next week's central bank meetings in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan, particularly in the wake of U.S. data released earlier in the week that indicated stronger-than-expected inflation.
The data, which revealed a 0.6 percent increase in U.S. factory prices and a 0.4 percent increase in consumer prices, dampened confidence in the Federal Reserve's ability to implement interest rate cuts as aggressively and quickly as previously expected.
Thus, the FTSE Mib, is just above par at 33,792.75.
In Europe, London's FTSE 100 is marginally in the red, Frankfurt's DAX 40 is just above parity, and Paris' CAC 40 is advancing 0.1 percent.
Among the smaller listings, the Mid-Cap is advancing 0.2 percent to 46,960.80, the Small-Cap is giving up 0.5 percent to 27,395.20, while Italy Growth is advancing 0.1 percent to 8,030.87.
On the Mib, good start for Banca Monte dei Paschi, which is advancing 2.4% with new price at EUR4.09 per share, after 2.3% red in the previous session.
Purchases also on BPER Banca, which brings the price up 1.4% to EUR4.02 per share after two bearish sessions.
Also advancing well is Saipem, which moves up 1.2%, echoing Thursday night's 4.5% gain.
Brunello Cucinelli - in the red by 6.1 percent - reverses course after three bullish sessions. 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 disclosed that it has proposed to pay a dividend of EUR0.91 per share from EUR0.65 in 2022.
Leonardo, on the other hand, is leaving 1.1 percent on the parterre with price at EUR21.12 per share, breaking a three-session bullish mini-trend.
On the MidCap, El.En. soars 8.5 percent ahead at EUR8.98 per share. The company reported Thursday that it ended 2023 with a consolidated profit of EUR48.2 million, down 12 percent from EUR55.1 million as of Dec. 31, 2022. The board is proposing to pay a dividend of EUR0.20 per share from EUR0.22 in 2022.
The board of Webuild -- down 1.7 percent -- approved the draft financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023, which closed with adjusted net income attributable to the group of EUR236 million, effectively doubling the results achieved in fiscal year 2022, when it was EUR118 million. The board proposes a dividend of EUR0.071 per ordinary share, up 25 percent from 2022, and EUR0.824 per savings share.
In contrast, d'Amico advances 3.8 percent, after good numbers rebounded on Thursday. Net income in 2023 was USD192.2 million from EUR134.9 million in 2022. In addition, the board proposed the distribution of a dividend of USD0.2487 per share from USD0.0153.
On the SmallCap, head of the list for Servizi Italia, which scores a plus 4.1 percent to EUR1.77 per share after two sessions among the bearish.
Purchases also on Somec, with the stock in the upper reaches of the list in the green by 4.0%, breaking a six-session downtrend.
Datalogic - in the red more than 13 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.
Safilo Group -- in the red by 3.0 percent -- reported Thursday that it closed fiscal year 2023 with a loss of EUR24.6 million from a profit of EUR54.2 million in 2022.
Among SMEs, boost on Almawave, which moves ahead 5.2% to EUR5.02 per share after 0.4% green on eve.
Convergences, on the other hand, advances 3.6 percent after a 4.8 percent decline on eve.
At the back - in a still uneventful list - Destination Italia is stepping back 2.8%, after three sessions closed among the bullish.
In New York last night, the Dow gave up 0.4 percent, while the Nasdaq left 0.3 percent on the parterre as did the S&P 500.
Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0881 versus USD1.0892 recorded at Thursday's European stock close, while the pound is worth USD1.2741 from USD1.2756 on Thursday evening.
Brent crude is worth USD85.05 per barrel versus USD85.17 per barrel at Thursday's close. Gold, meanwhile, trades at USD2,167.07 an ounce from USD2,159.41 an ounce on Thursday evening.
On Friday's macroeconomic calendar, the consumer price index will arrive at 1000 CET from Italy, along with the trade balance.
At 1100 CET, also from Italy, will come out retail sales and, from China, the money supply.
In the afternoon, new residential construction sites are expected from Canada at 1315 CET and at 1330 CET, from the US, the import price index followed at 1415 CET by US industrial production.
In Piazza Affari, companies' announcements of corporate results continue. Among others, those of Bioera, DiaSorin and Eukedos are scheduled.
By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News reporter
Comments and questions to redazione@alliancenews.com
Copyright 2024 Alliance News IS Italian Service Ltd. All rights reserved.
