(Alliance News) - On Friday, major European stock markets continued trading in positive territory, with Milan doing best of all. The FTSE100 remains up despite data on British consumer confidence.

In fact, among the macroeconomic news, the GfK indicator on UK consumer confidence fell to minus 45 in January 2023 from minus 42 in December, as Britons continued to grapple with persistently high inflation and soaring energy bills.

The January figure also ended three consecutive monthly increases and remained close to the record low of minus 49 touched in September.

Joe Staton, director of client strategy at GfK, said, "With inflation continuing to swallow salary increases and the prospect of shocking energy bills coming soon, the outlook for consumer confidence this year is not good."

Thus, the FTSE Mib is in the green 0.8 percent to 25,770.04, Paris's CAC 40 rises 0.6 percent to 6,994.25, London's FTSE 100 gains 0.5 percent to 7,782.26, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is up 0.4 percent to 14,982.21.

Among the listings in Milan, the Mid-Cap is in the green 1.1 percent to 42,712.13, the Small-Cap is up 1.0 percent to 29,691.35, while Italy Growth is up 0.2 percent to 9,549.76.

On the Mib, Saipem is up 6.1%. The company announced Friday that it has been awarded two offshore contracts totaling about USD900 million. These are a deepwater oil field in the Santos Basin in the South Atlantic, 270 kilometers off the coast of São Paulo, Brazil.

Leonardo -- in the green by 0.9 percent -- and the General Secretariat of Defense and National Armaments Directorate announced Thursday that they have signed the contract to exercise options for additional AW169M LUH helicopters destined for Austria, the Italian company announced.

The acquisition contract provides for an additional 18 AW169M LUH - Light Uitlity Helicopters - destined for the Austrian Ministry of Defense, worth EUR304 million.

Eni trades in the green by 0.8 percent, after announcing on Thursday that the total nominal amount of the public offering for subscription and admission to listing of the loan bonds to 2028 has been fully placed. Thus, those in charge of the placement arranged for the offer to be closed early to this afternoon at 1700 CET.

The board of directors of Snam - in the green by 0.1 percent - announced Thursday that it had approved the Strategic Plan to 2026, which envisages total investments of EUR10 billion, a 23 percent increase from the previous one for the period 2021-2025 for which they amounted to EUR8 billion. Of this, EUR9 billion is earmarked for gas infrastructure.

Banco BPM, on the other hand, stretches 0.6 percent to EUR3.80. On the stock, Jefferies raised its target price to EUR5.00 from EUR4.90.

On the bearish side, Amplifon, down 4.3 percent, does worse. Also down were Pirelli, in the red by 1.7 percent, and Stellantis, down 0.7 percent.

On the Mid-Cap, GVS takes the top spot, in the green by 4.8 percent, followed by Credem on which it is reported that Deutsche Bank Research upgraded the stock to 'buy' from 'hold' and raised the target price to EUR9.30 from EUR6.90.

Webuild is in the green by 0.5 percent after reporting Thursday that it has completed negotiations and is close to finalizing an agreement with Clough's Deloitte Administrators in Australia to extend the scope of the acquisition to additional projects, safeguarding the continuity of the company's business, the delivery of quality works to clients, and above all safeguarding the unique skills and know-how of the staff.

Fincantieri trades up 0.3 percent after announcing Wednesday that through its U.S. subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group, it signed a contract with CREST Wind, a joint venture between Crowley and ESVAGT, for the design and construction of a service operation vessel.

On the Small-Cap, SIT - flat at EUR6.22 per share - reported on Friday the preliminary result of characteristic sales realized in 2022, which amounted to EUR387.6 million up 3.3 percent from EUR375.2 million in 2021.

Newlat Food - down 0.6 percent - reported Thursday that preliminary consolidated revenues for 2022 are EUR730 million, up 17 percent organic year-on-year from EUR625 million reported at the end of fiscal year 2021 and up 128 percent from fiscal year 2019 when revenues were EUR320 million, the year of listing in the STAR segment of Borsa Italiana Spa.

Among SMEs, good buying on Altea Greeen Power, which rises 7.2 percent, breaking a four-session downtrend.

SCK Group announced Thursday that "SCK Force," a wholly owned subsidiary of Sciuker Frames - currently flat at EUR8.15 per share - has been formed through Sciuker Frames, the first Made in Italy-designed window and sunscreen cluster.

Closing out the list is Ambromobiliare, which gives up 4.8 percent bringing weekly assets over 18 percent.

In New York, on European night, the Dow closed down 0.8% at 33,007.94, the Nasdaq down 1.0%, and the S&P 500 gave up 0.8%.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0838 versus USD1.0801 at Thursday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2357 from USD1.2359 on Thursday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD86.38 per barrel from USD85.90 per barrel on Thursday evening. Gold, meanwhile, trades at USD1,930.75 an ounce from USD1,921.63 an ounce last session.

On Friday's economic calendar, retail sales will come out from Canada at 1430 CET while data on existing home sales will arrive from the US.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to redazione@alliancenews.com

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