(Alliance News) - European stock markets were poised for a lower open on Wednesday, pressured by a global sell-off in technology shares fueled by mounting concerns over potential disruptions linked to artificial intelligence in key sectors.
In Europe, investors are awaiting January inflation data for the Eurozone to gain insight into the possible direction of monetary policy.
Both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England are set to announce their monetary policy decisions on Thursday, with expectations broadly pointing to rates remaining unchanged.
The Mib – after closing up 0.9% at 46,420.52 last night – is currently showing a gain of 172.50 points.
The CAC 40 is up by 39.70 points, the DAX 40 is advancing by 76.00 points, while the FTSE 100 is up by 17.20 points.
Among the secondary indices, last night the Mid-Cap closed down 0.8% at 59,999.47, the Small-Cap slipped 1.2% to 36,670.16, and the Italy Growth index contracted 0.4% to 8,762.52 points.
On Piazza Affari, on Tuesday evening, DiaSorin led the buying with a 4.1% rise to EUR74.32 per share after submitting a request to the FDA for authorization of the LIAISON NES Group A Strep molecular test, designed for rapid diagnosis of Group A Streptococcus in a Point-of-Care setting.
Banca Mediolanum, flat at EUR20.22 per share, closed 2025 with a record net profit of EUR1.24 billion, up 11% from 2024, benefiting from growth in operating margin and strong contributions from managed assets.
Leonardo, up 0.7%, and Adani Defence & Aerospace, active in the defense and aerospace sectors and a leading player in India, announced Tuesday the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.
The renewal of the board of directors at Monte dei Paschi di Siena is entering its crucial phase, with a vote scheduled for the April 15 shareholders' meeting. Tomorrow, the extraordinary meeting chaired by Nicola Maione is set to approve statutory changes, including the introduction of the board's slate. Early indications from proxy advisors point to participation above 70%, with funds accounting for about 60% of the free float; the resolution will require a two-thirds majority. MPS shares fell by 0.6%.
Market attention remains high on Generali – up 1.6% – following rumors of a possible meeting between UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel and the Trieste-based group's CEO, Philippe Donnet. Despite denials from UniCredit, which has entered a black period, and no comments from Trieste, the matter continues to draw interest. UniCredit shares closed up 2.2%.
Nexi dropped 4.9% to EUR3.41 per share. Amplifon fell 2.8% to EUR13.23 per share after Danish peer Demant published 2026 forecasts below analysts' expectations.
On the Mid-Cap, MAIRE – up 1.1% – announced that Tecnimont and Baker Hughes have signed a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding to explore cooperation opportunities on modular and scalable global liquefied natural gas projects.
Juventus Football Club, down 2.5% on the day, reached an agreement with Bologna FC 1909 for the free temporary acquisition, until June 30, of player Emil Alfons Holm. The agreed price for a possible permanent transfer is EUR15 million, payable over three financial years.
PharmaNutra – down 0.5% – remains one of TP ICAP Midcap's Top Picks, which confirmed its 'buy' recommendation and an unchanged target price of EUR74.00, representing a 17% upside potential over current prices. The rating reflects the strong operating momentum of SiderAL, which continues to strengthen its presence in the US at the start of 2026.
Avio gained 3.6%, while Reply, which hit a 52-week low, fell 8.9%.
On the Small-Cap, Gefran – flat at EUR10.60 – has begun construction of its new production and technology hub in Provaglio d'Iseo, Brescia province, which will also become the group's new headquarters. The total investment amounts to EUR20 million and involves the redevelopment and expansion of a building already owned by the company.
OPS Retail, which subscribed to the second tranche of the EUR15 million POC, closed up 11% at EUR0.0354 per share, while Industrie De Nora ended at the bottom of the basket with an 11% drop to EUR6.75 per share.
Buying interest was seen in Met.Extra Group, up 5.6% to EUR1.89 per share.
Among SMEs, Intred, up 1.4%, reported that in 2025 it achieved total revenues exceeding EUR55.8 million compared to EUR55.2 million in 2024. The network saw further expansion, growing from over 13,500 km at the end of 2024 to about 15,000 km as of December 31, 2025.
At AATECH, which closed up 1.0%, the capital increase operation with exclusion of preemptive rights was completed for just under EUR1.3 million, through the issuance of up to 2.5 million new ordinary shares with no stated par value.
Doxee reviewed preliminary 2025 results, closing with sales revenues between EUR30.7 million and EUR31.0 million, up more than 15% from EUR26.5 million in 2024, thanks mainly to the excellent performance in the DACH area and the positive trend in the Italian market, supported by repositioning in the top enterprise segment. The stock gained 3.7%.
Circle, down 0.7%, completed the TRUST project, co-financed by the Liguria Region's 2021-2027 FESR Regional Program with a contribution of about EUR110,000. Project partners included Click & Find, Leolabs, Tarros, and the University of Genoa.
RT&L – up 0.1% – announced the appointment of Eleonora Bonifazio as Group Chief Financial Officer and Investor Relations Manager. With Bonifazio's arrival, Roberto Bizzarri, CEO of RT&L, ends his role as Investor Relations Manager.
In New York, during the European evening, the Dow Jones slipped 0.3%, the S&P 500 lost 0.8%, while the Nasdaq retreated 1.4%.
In Asia, the Nikkei lost 0.8%, the Shanghai Composite closed up 0.9%, while the Hang Seng is showing a 0.4% gain.
On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1828 from USD1.1812 at Tuesday's European stock market close, while the pound is at USD1.3711 from USD1.3697 last night.
In commodities, Brent is trading at USD67.55 a barrel from USD67.01 on Tuesday, while gold is at USD5,068.70 an ounce, up from USD4,968.16 an ounce last night.
On Wednesday's economic calendar, Eurozone services PMI and composite PMI are due at 0900 CET, while at 1000 CET Italy's and the Eurozone's consumer price indices will be released.
In the US, the focus will be on mortgage data from 1200 CET, while at 1500 CET the services and manufacturing PMI will be published.
On Piazza Affari, results are expected from Anima Holding, Pattern, and BPER Banca.
By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News Reporter
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