Piazza Affari continues to see its indices edge up cautiously. There are few notable drivers today. Wall Street will be absent as it is closed for Presidents' Day, while in China, markets remain shut until 23 February for Lunar New Year celebrations.
The macroeconomic calendar is also sparse, though the week ahead brings several key data releases, including the December core PCE index—a closely watched measure of inflation by the Fed—the advance estimate of Q4 GDP, and February's PMI readings.
Around 12:50 pm, the FTSE MIB was up 0.30%. Trading volumes stood at 1.16 billion euro.
Today's notable stocks:
** Banks are performing well, rebounding after a sharp drop in the previous session, with UNICREDIT up 1% and INTESA SANPAOLO rising 0.3%. MEDIOBANCA is also gaining, up 1.4%, along with its parent MPS, which advances 1.3%.
** On the other hand, the utilities sector continues to retreat as investors await details of a decree aimed at reducing energy prices, which is expected to be approved on Wednesday. ENEL and A2A are down 1.69% and 1.3% respectively, with ERG losing 1.6%, while IREN and HERA turn positive on short covering.
** INTERPUMP remains under pressure, falling 1% after Friday's -18% plunge following the announcement of 2025 results slightly below expectations and a 2026 guidance that disappointed investors. Kepler Cheuvreux downgraded the stock to 'hold' from 'buy' and cut the target price to 45 euro from 52.
** EUROGROUP LAMINATIONS collapses, dropping 53% after the company announced the termination of agreements disclosed last 28 July between main shareholder EMS and FountainVest.
** SANLORENZO surges 5.8% after its 2025 results.
** TECHNOGYM jumps 3.55% after Equita raised its price target to 20 euro from the previous 17 euro, citing a "stronger margin growth trajectory."
(Giancarlo Navach, editing by Andrea Mandalá)
