Piazza Affari turns the mid-day mark as the largely best stock exchange in Europe, thanks to Unicredit (+9% to 29.2 euros) which drags the banking sector: the Ftse Mib index rises by 1.1%, while London and Amsterdam They are up 0.3%, with Frankfurt up 0.2%.
Paris and Madrid are flat.
The markets seem to be waiting above all for more precise indications on the rate cut program by the ECB and the Fed, with various macroeconomic data from the United States in the afternoon which may give some signals.
But on the Milan stock exchange there is a rush for the banks, after the institute led by Andrea Orcel recorded a 2023 profit of 8.6 billion better than expected, which in fact will be redistributed entirely to the shareholders if the buyback is also considered, and the market also likes the prospect of another 10 billion coming to remunerate shareholders this year.
So Mps, waiting for the return of the dividend after 13 years, grows by 4.2%, Intesa SanPaolo which will release its accounts tomorrow rises by 3.5%, with Bper and Fineco growing by more than two percentage points.
In the industrial sector Leonardo did well (+1.2%), with Tim down 1.9% to 0.28 euros.
Stellantis is limited by 0.5% after the press hypotheses of a possible marriage with Renault (+1% in Paris) pushed by the French state and the denial of the reconstruction by president John Elkann.
Calm on the government bonds front, with the spread between BTPs and Bunds fluctuating around 156 basis points, and also for the euro, which moves around parity at a ratio of 1.07 against the dollar.
In the energy sector, gas fell by 2% to 28 euros per Megawatt hour after a slightly positive start.
Oil flat at 72 dollars a barrel.
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