(Alliance News) - On Thursday, major European stock indices met expectations by opening in positive territory as investors await Eurozone inflation data.
The FTSE Mib is up 0.5% at 39,951.70, while the Mid-Cap is down 0.9% at 55,343.59, the Small-Cap drops 0.9% to 32,022.63, and the Italy Growth index posts a fractional gain at 8,276.37.
London's FTSE 100 rises 0.3% to 8,956.09, Paris' CAC 40 gains 1.0% at 7,795.06, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 climbs 0.9% to 24,221.07.
On the macroeconomic front, the UK unemployment rate rose to 4.7% in the three months to May, up from 4.6% in the period to April. According to consensus cited by FXStreet, the rate was expected to remain at 4.6%.
From Asia, Japan's trade surplus narrowed to JPY153.1 billion in June from JPY221.3 billion a year earlier, falling short of market expectations for a surplus of JPY353.9 billion.
On the Mib, Prysmian tops the list, jumping 4.0%. STMicroelectronics also performs well, up 3.7%, while Interpump Group rounds out the top three with a 2.6% gain.
Stellantis rebounds after a 6.2% loss yesterday, rising 2.4%. On Wednesday, the company announced it will halt its hydrogen fuel cell technology development program due to a lack of prospects in the sector. The automaker said it does not expect to adopt hydrogen-powered light commercial vehicles before the end of the decade.
This is due to the limited availability of hydrogen refueling infrastructure, high capital requirements, and the need for "greater consumer purchase incentives," Stellantis added.
Among the laggards, Buzzi sits at the bottom, down 2.7%. Utilities also struggle, with Hera and Terna down 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively.
Intesa Sanpaolo--fractionally lower at EUR4.8835 per share--announced Wednesday that its Insurance division has expanded its life segment offering with the launch of "Patrimonio Garanzia," a new whole life policy with guaranteed invested capital, targeting a broad clientele up to 90 years old.
Eni--down 0.5%--announced Wednesday the signing of a long-term liquefied natural gas supply agreement with Venture Global. According to the company, Eni will purchase 2 million tonnes per year for 20 years from Phase 1 of the CP2 LNG liquefaction project, with deliveries starting at the end of the decade.
In the Mid-Cap segment, Webuild--up 1.4%--announced Wednesday a new contract for Lane, its US subsidiary, which secured a USD337 million (EUR288 million) contract for the design and construction of expansion and modernization works along Interstate 85 (I-85) in Gaston County, North Carolina.
Italmobiliare--up 1.3%--reported Tuesday evening that from July 8 to 14, it repurchased a total of 17,790 own shares for a total value of approximately EUR491,000.
Lottomatica Group slips 0.1%. The company announced Wednesday it had repurchased ordinary shares for a total value of EUR3.0 million.
On the Small-Cap index, CY4Gate rises 3.6% after announcing Thursday it had signed an 18-month contract worth EUR9.9 million with a major European institutional client for the acquisition of Decision Intelligence technologies and developments.
Somec climbs 2.5% after announcing Thursday it had updated commercial agreements worth over EUR57 million for its Horizons division, which specializes in engineered naval architecture systems and civil facades.
Piquadro--flat at EUR2.44--reported Wednesday that consolidated revenue for the first three months of fiscal year 2025-2026, ending June 30, 2025, reached EUR36.8 million, up 2.0% from the same period in the previous year, which closed at EUR36.1 million.
Among SMEs, RedFish LongTerm Capital--not yet traded--announced Wednesday it had strengthened its presence in the aerospace sector. Through its subsidiary Movinter, RFLTC completed the acquisition of 91.5% of Alpi Aviation, a historic Friuli-based manufacturer of light aircraft, helicopters, and unarmed drones.
The deal amounts to EUR3.7 million.
Saccheria F.lli Franceschetti rises 0.9%. On Wednesday, the company reviewed its management revenues as of June 30, which stood at EUR10.2 million, compared to EUR9.2 million as of June 30, 2024.
Alfonsino--down 1.1%--announced Wednesday the launch of the "Order Now" feature via Google Action Center. This Google platform allows users to take quick actions directly from search results.
According to Alfonsino, thanks to this integration, users can now find restaurants and Alfonsino-affiliated partners directly on Google and order online simply and instantly.
In New York overnight, the Dow closed up 0.5% at 44,254.78, the Nasdaq gained 0.3% at 20,730.49, and the S&P 500 rose 0.3% to 6,263.70.
Among Asian markets, the Hang Seng is down 0.2%, the Shanghai Composite is up 0.4%, and the Nikkei adds 0.6%.
In currency markets, the euro trades at USD1.1593 from USD1.1690 at Wednesday's close, while the pound changes hands at USD1.3394 from USD1.3458 on Wednesday evening.
In commodities, Brent crude trades at USD68.40 from USD67.93 per barrel at the previous close, while gold is valued at USD3,333.25 from USD3,360.11 per ounce on Wednesday evening.
Looking at Thursday's economic calendar, Eurozone inflation data will be released at 1100 CEST.
At 1430 CEST, US retail sales data is due. Later in the day, members of the Federal Reserve are scheduled to speak.
On the corporate calendar, results are expected from Directa SIM, Dotstay, Sesa, and Zucchi.
By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter
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