Futures point to weak opening as markets trade in the red

(Alliance News) - IG futures indicate a negative opening for markets on Friday, with the exception of London which remains flat, as prospects for peace in the Middle East begin to materialize. US President Donald Trump has signaled that a deal with Iran is "very close."

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a meeting of allies to evaluate the deployment of a multinational force to ensure security and the free movement of goods in the Strait of Hormuz, once the current conflict between Iran, the US, and Israel concludes.

The FTSE MIB - according to the futures market - is expected to open down 0.2% or 77.5 points today.

The CAC 40 is projected to open in the red by 0.2% or 15 points, the DAX 40 is seen fractionally lower by 10.5 points, while the FTSE 100 is considered stable.

Returning to Milan, the MIB closed down 0.3% at 48,026.94 yesterday evening, the Mid-Cap ended up 0.5% at 57,713.84, the Small-Cap closed up 1.0% at 34,883.35, while Italy Growth gained 0.4% to 8,743.95.

On the main Piazza Affari list, Amplifon showed strength, gaining 5.7% and marking its third consecutive positive session.

The shareholders' meeting of Banco BPM - up 0.5% - elected the new board on Thursday in a meeting attended by shareholders representing over 72% of the share capital. The board's slate received approximately 59% of the votes in favor, while the slate presented by Credit Agricole received 31% and Assogestioni secured 8.0%. Consequently, the outgoing board takes ten seats, four go to Credit Agricole, and one to the asset managers' list.

Fincantieri - down 0.8% - remains in the analyst spotlight following the first US Navy order for the LSM program and a new contract with Princess Cruises for three cruise ships, with overall constructive assessments of its growth profile and order visibility. Akros confirmed its "buy" recommendation, emphasizing that the start of the four LSM ships represents a concrete first step confirming the group's involvement in the broader 35-unit program.

According to analysts, "a contract for the construction of four ships will likely be announced in the coming months," also in light of the approximately USD1.8 billion budget included in the fiscal year 2025 reconciliation act for the procurement of these platforms.

Stellantis - down 1.2% - and Microsoft Corp announced a five-year strategic collaboration on Thursday aimed at accelerating Stellantis' digital transformation through the co-development of advanced capabilities in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and engineering. The agreement involves the joint development of over 100 AI-based initiatives, ranging from commercial activities and customer care to industrial processes. Applications include product development, advanced validation and testing, as well as predictive maintenance solutions and accelerated digital service releases.

Nexi fell 2.6% to EUR3.57 per share. JPMorgan confirmed its "neutral" recommendation on the stock, reducing the target price to EUR3.85 from EUR4.30, following an estimate update incorporating more moderate growth and a more complex operating environment. In the report by Craig A. McDowell, the analyst noted that "Nexi shares remain in transition from a growth story to a more stable dividend-oriented story," with an expected yield of around 10% in 2026.

In the mid-cap segment, Sesa showed strength, gaining 5.3% in its fifth consecutive bullish session.

Mondadori finished in the green by 0.7% at EUR2.10 per share. The group announced that, following the submission of the offer and discussions with the liquidator, the contract for the acquisition of the school publishing business unit of Hoepli Spa has been signed. The transaction is expected to close within the first half of the current financial year, subject to the fulfillment of specific conditions precedent.

Pirelli ended the session up 1.9% at EUR6.03 per share. Notably, BofA cut its target price on the stock to EUR7.50 from EUR8.10.

Banca Generali - flat at EUR55.35 - announced on Thursday that the shareholders' meeting, convened to approve the financial statements as of December 31, 2025, adopted other significant decisions. Specifically, the meeting approved the 2026 remuneration policy, the increase in the ratio between variable and fixed components up to 2:1 for certain key figures, and the new long-term incentive plan "LTI Plan 2026," as well as a plan based on financial instruments with the allocation of shares to management to strengthen alignment with shareholders.

On the Small-Cap list, doValue closed up 7.3%, marking its third positive session.

Softlab gained 6.3% to EUR1.18, also its third session ending with a bullish candle.

Triboo - up 3.4% - announced on Wednesday that it closed 2025 with a loss of EUR2.3 million, an improvement over the negative result of EUR11.2 million in 2024. Revenues stood at EUR52.6 million, down 19% from EUR64.9 million the previous year, primarily reflecting the conclusion of certain e-commerce partnerships and the downsizing of the operating perimeter, in line with the 2025-2030 Business Plan.

SIT fell 0.7% to EUR2.75 per share. Intesa Sanpaolo confirmed its "buy" recommendation on SIT with a target price of EUR3.10, in light of 2025 results that, according to analysts, were in line with expectations for revenues and financial position, but higher in terms of operating profitability. Specifically, SIT closed the year with revenues of EUR319.1 million, up 6.5% from EUR299.5 million in 2024 and substantially aligned with estimates of EUR319.8 million. Fourth-quarter revenues were EUR81.1 million, up 5.7% but slightly below expectations of EUR81.8 million.

Sabaf - among numerous stocks in the red - closed down 3.4%, following a 1.8% decline on Wednesday evening.

Among SMEs, Ena gained 7.7% to EUR0.77 per share, following a 0.7% rise the previous day.

SosTravel.com - up 4.3% - announced on Wednesday that it had signed a commercial agreement with the tour operator Itaka Hungary for the marketing of the new "AmareClub Acqua di Mare Hotel & Resort," a four-star village located in northern Sardinia.

Ecomembrane - up 2.9% - announced on Thursday that its subsidiary SBS Solar Srl entered into a contract with Photovoltaicum Srl, an investment vehicle in the renewable energy sector, for the construction of a PV plant valued at EUR4.8 million. The amount was revised upward from the EUR4.5 million initially announced last September.

Svas Biosana - flat at EUR9.00 - announced its 2025 results on Wednesday, closing the year with a profit of EUR6.8 million, up 15% from EUR5.9 million recorded as of December 31, 2024. The board will propose a dividend of EUR0.20 per share to shareholders, down from EUR0.25 last year.

In New York, the Dow Jones closed up 0.1% at 48,587.72 points, the Nasdaq gained 0.4% to 24,102.70 points, while the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 7,041.28.

In Asia, the Nikkei is down 1.3% at 58,738 points, the Hang Seng is down 1.2% at 26,072.50, and the Shanghai Composite is in the red by 0.1% at 4,050.11 points.

On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1777 from USD1.1776 on Thursday evening, while the pound is at USD1.3511 from USD1.3531 yesterday evening.

Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD98.72 per barrel from USD98.30 yesterday evening, while gold is valued at USD4,783.30 per ounce from USD4,803.20 yesterday evening.

Friday's macroeconomic calendar includes the Italian trade balance data at 1000 CEST.

From the US, the Fed's Daly will deliver a speech at 1730 CEST, followed by Barkin at 1815 CEST and Waller at 2000 CEST.

Among companies, results are expected from Beewize, Class Editori, and Seri Industrial.

By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News reporter

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