(Alliance News) - On Wednesday, major European markets closed with mixed performances following comments made at the World Economic Forum in Davos by U.S. President Donald Trump, who reiterated his determination to acquire Greenland, but stated he would not resort to force.
"If the Europeans say yes, we will greatly appreciate it; if they say no, we will remember it," said the White House chief, adding, however, that "Europe is not heading in the right direction."
Domestically, in Rome, the appointment of the new president of Consob remained in the spotlight after tensions surfaced among the main government partners, divided over the candidacy of Federico Freni, the current undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The Mib ended trading down 0.5% at 44,488.36 points, the Mid-Cap gained 0.4% to 60,363.60, the Small-Cap slipped fractionally to 37,234.12, and the Italy Growth index closed 0.3% lower at 8,737.23.
The CAC 40 and FTSE 100 both closed up 0.1%, while the DAX 40 fell 0.5%.
"While the European Parliament has suspended work on the trade agreement with the U.S., the decreased likelihood of a trade war between the U.S. and the EU has allowed for a more positive atmosphere," analysts at IG observed.
On the Milan Stock Exchange, Fincantieri weighed on the index with its fourth consecutive session of losses, recording the largest drop with a decline of 3.8% to EUR18.44, alongside Hera, which fell 3.3% to EUR4.0740 per share.
Analysts are not betting on a merger between Fincantieri and Leonardo, which slipped 1.2%. Banca Akros and Equita noted that both companies have already streamlined their respective operations and do not see significant industrial synergies.
Hera's 2025 preliminary results show EBITDA above EUR1.53 billion and net profit for shareholders over EUR460 million, up 4%, with a net debt to EBITDA ratio below 2.6 times.
Based on these figures, the expected dividend for 2025 is EUR0.16 per share, up 6.7% from 2024 and above the forecasts of the previous plan.
At the top of the main basket were Tenaris, up 3.4% at EUR18.71, and STM, which gained 3.3% to EUR34.235 per share.
Terna, down 1.6%, reported that Italian electricity consumption in 2025 stood at 311.3 TWh, a figure essentially unchanged from 2024. Last year, renewable sources accounted for 41% of demand, compared to 42% in 2024.
Moncler announced a generational transition at the top, with Remo Ruffini stepping down as CEO but retaining the roles of Executive Chairman and Creative Director, and Bartolomeo Rongone being appointed as new Group CEO effective April 1, 2026. The stock slipped 0.2%.
Banca BPM saw a 0.3% decline after changes to its bylaws. Crédit Agricole currently holds two board seats and aims to increase its influence. BPM CEO Giuseppe Castagna, who is seeking reappointment along with Chairman Massimo Tononi, is working on a joint list with the French, who are seeking 4–5 seats, while the possibility of a separate Agricole list remains open.
On the Mid-Cap, Alerion Clean Power was flat at EUR17.80, after announcing that the Central Bank of Ireland had approved the prospectus for its public offering of bonds arising from the "Alerion Clean Power Spa Up to EUR300,000,000 Senior Unsecured Fixed Rate Notes due 2032" bond issue.
Intesa Sanpaolo continues coverage on Avio, down 0.3%, confirming a 'buy' recommendation and a target price of EUR49.50, compared to a market price of EUR38.80 as of January 20. The price target implies a potential upside of over 28%.
Tamburi Investment Partners, up 1.4%, announced that its subsidiary Investindesign – which holds about 48.6% of the share capital of Dexelance, up 1.5% – has decided to introduce a new conventional withdrawal window in its bylaws, in addition to the existing one, exercisable after the approval of Investindesign's financial statements as of December 31, 2025.
MARR, up 1.6%, finalized the acquisition of 100% of Bergel+, a Lombardy-based company with over EUR25 million in revenues in 2025, for approximately EUR4.7 million.
Webuild, up 0.4%, reported that its subsidiary Lane, in a 50-50 joint venture with Superior Construction, signed contracts worth USD643 million for the construction of the Westshore Interchange, the largest infrastructure project for the Florida Department of Transportation in the Tampa Bay area.
MAIRE, up 0.2%, has entered the global liquefied natural gas market. Its subsidiary Tecnimont has signed a preliminary agreement with Argent LNG, LLC to participate in the development of an LNG export complex in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, a strategic U.S. energy hub.
Ferretti gained 3.4%, while Credem lost 2.0%.
On the Small-Cap, Borgosesia acknowledged the year's performance, which marks a strong acceleration in the transition toward the Alternative Asset Manager model, thanks in part to the acquisition of 100% of OneOSix. The stock declined 0.4%.
For OPS eCom, down 4.4%, the second tranche of the convertible bond issued on November 26, 2025, and fully subscribed by Global Capital Investments Ud, has been converted. The conversion involved 50 bonds for a total nominal value of EUR500,000.
Zest, up 1.1%, announced that Alessandra Ricci resigned from the board of directors and as chair of the Risk and Sustainability Control Committee. The independent director's resignation is due to new professional commitments.
Met.Extra Group closed with a double-digit gain of 11% at EUR1.78 per share.
Among SMEs, Novamarine, up 3.1%, announced it had signed a partnership agreement with PrivatSea for the marketing and sale of the company's boats in Greece, currently the hub of one of Europe's most prestigious nautical markets.
DBA Group, flat at EUR3.99, has joined the Venice Sustainability Foundation as a supporting member.
Circle, down 1.2%, signed an agreement with a major Italian logistics operator to launch a nine-month structured project to digitize terminal operations and logistics-document flows, continuing the company's digitalization process by providing the evolution of the MILOS platforms. The total value of the agreement, based on the current contractual scope, exceeds EUR300,000.
In New York, the Dow Jones was up 0.9%, the Nasdaq gained 1.3%, and the S&P 500 rose 1.0%.
In currency markets, the euro was trading at USD1.1697 from USD1.1734 at Tuesday's close in Europe, while the pound was at USD1.3421 from USD1.3463 on Tuesday evening.
Among commodities, Brent crude traded at USD64.90 per barrel from USD64.77 per barrel on Tuesday, while gold was valued at USD4,837.81 an ounce from USD4,738.47 an ounce the previous evening.
On Thursday's economic calendar, the German Buba monthly report is due at 1200 CET, followed at 1430 CET by U.S. GDP data and unemployment figures.
The Fed's balance sheet is expected at 2230 CET.
At Piazza Affari, Grifal's results are expected.
By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News Reporter
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