(Alliance News) - On Friday, as the war between the US, Israel, and Iran enters its seventh day, futures are pointing to higher markets following two consecutive losing sessions on Europe's main exchanges.
The Mib is forecast to rise by 0.7%, or 300.0 points, after closing in the red the previous day, when the index dropped 1.6% to 44,608.55 points.
Other stock exchanges are also expected to open higher: the CAC 40 by 0.7% or up 57.7 points, the DAX 40 by 0.6% or up 144 points, and the FTSE 100 by 0.6% or up 57.8 points.
On Milan's secondary lists, as of Thursday evening's close, the Mid-Cap fell 1.6% to 56,337.29, the Small-Cap slipped 1.0% to 34,760.07, and the Italia Growth ended the session just below parity at 8,477.21 points.
On the Mib, Amplifon dropped more than 13%. On Wednesday, the company announced it closed 2025 with adjusted net profit of EUR159.2 million, down from EUR188.1 million as of December 31, 2024. The company proposed a dividend of EUR0.29 per share, unchanged from last year.
RBC Capital maintained its 'sector perform' rating on Amplifon, down from 'market perform', and confirmed the target price at EUR15.00 due to "insufficient revenue and profit in the fourth quarter" with "uncertain forecasts." As a result, returns are in line with the sector average over 12 months. Compared to consensus, the company reported fourth-quarter revenue 2.3% below expectations, adjusted Ebitda missed estimates by 5.5%, and earnings per share came in 6.2% below forecasts.
Nexi - which closed nearly 17% lower - approved its results and new group plan on Thursday, which appear to have failed to convince investors. As of December 31, 2025, it reported revenue of EUR3.59 billion, up 2.1% from EUR3.51 billion for the year ended December 2024. Group net profit rose 7.2% to EUR783.3 million from EUR730.4 million the previous year.
Moreover, the group forecasts total excess cash generation of around EUR2.4 billion for the 2026-2028 period, with about EUR750 million expected in 2026. On the shareholder remuneration front, Nexi has indicated a dividend of EUR0.30 per share for 2026, totaling around EUR350 million, with a projected annual increase of at least 5% and a total payout exceeding EUR1.1 billion over the three-year period.
Fincantieri - down 6.1% - announced Thursday that Remazel has completed the acquisition of 100% of the shares of H Tech Serviços e Manutenção, a Brazilian company specializing in offshore plant inspection and maintenance services. As the company explained in a note, the acquisition is conceived as a long-term investment aimed at creating value for clients, partners, and stakeholders.
Campari surged, pushing its price up 10.0%. The company reported Wednesday that it closed 2025 with group net profit of EUR346.3 million, up 72% from EUR201.6 million in 2024.
Snam - up 1.6% - approved its 2025 accounts on Thursday, judging the results "well above guidance," and approved the strategic plan for 2026-2030. The group's adjusted net profit for 2025 was EUR1.42 billion, up more than 10%, or EUR133 million, from EUR1.26 billion the previous year.
On the mid-cap segment, d'Amico dropped 7.1% to EUR7.30 per share, suffering sector pressure due to issues in the Strait of Hormuz.
Avio, meanwhile, fell 9.9% to EUR33.80 per share. Notably, Two Sigma Investments reduced its short position on the stock to 0.66% from the previous 0.72%.
Piaggio lost 5.4%. In 2025, the group announced a net profit of EUR34 million, down 49% from EUR67.2 million the previous year.
Intercos gained 1.3% to EUR12.30 per share, following a 5.0% gain the previous day.
The board of directors of Ascopiave - up 4.0% - approved the 2025 results on Thursday, closing with consolidated net profit of EUR86.8 million, up from EUR36.5 million in 2024. The board will propose a dividend of EUR0.16 per share, totaling EUR34.6 million, slightly higher than the EUR0.15 paid last year.
On the Small-Cap, Sogefi ended down 4.8%. Intesa maintains a neutral view on the stock, highlighting a stable operating environment but some competitive challenges, especially in the Suspension segment. The bank notes a gradual evolution of divisions and a modest medium-term growth outlook, with more favorable results for Air & Cooling than for Suspensions.
Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi di Bologna - down 4.7% - reported Wednesday that in February the airport handled 681,053 passengers, up 5.9% from the same month in 2025, marking the best February ever for the Emilia airport. Specifically, domestic flight passengers totaled 157,291, up 2.9% year-on-year, while international passengers reached 523,762, up 6.9% from 2025.
Banca Sistema shares, however, advanced 2.0% to EUR1.76, ahead of its earnings release. On Wednesday, Banca CF+ announced that the final results of the voluntary total public exchange offer for Banca Sistema shares confirm the provisional data already communicated. As the company explained in a note, 56.9 million Banca Sistema shares were tendered to the offer, equal to 70.732% of the share capital and 69.047% of the voting rights.
Beewize, meanwhile, gained 0.3%, awaiting results due on Friday.
Among SMEs, Laboratorio Farmaceutico Erfo soared 16%, after a flat session the previous day, closing at EUR1.31.
Franchetti - down 0.9% - announced it has signed, through a newly established Brazilian subsidiary, a binding agreement to acquire 55% of the share capital of ECR Engenharia and ECR Tecnologia e Engenharia. The companies are active in engineering services for road, rail, urban mobility, water infrastructure, bridges, viaducts, tunnels, and complex civil buildings.
Siav - down 2.4% - announced Wednesday it has completed the sale of its 20.54% stake in Consis Società Consortile a responsabilità limitata to Consis Group, parent of Consis. At the same time, the company acquired from Consis the business unit related to "Document Management" activities in the public health sector.
Nusco dropped 4.1%, marking its fourth consecutive bullish candle, with the price around EUR0.59.
In Asia, the Nikkei 225 traded up 0.6% at 55,625.00 points, the Hang Seng is still up 1.6% at 25,722.00 points, and the Shanghai Composite closed up 0.4% at 4,124.19 points.
In New York, during the European evening, the Dow ended trading down 1.6% at 47,954.74, the Nasdaq down 0.3% at 25,020.41, and the S&P 500 down 0.6% at 6,830.71 points.
On the currency front, the euro trades at USD1.1608 from USD1.1562 at Thursday's close in Europe, while the pound trades at USD1.13364 from USD1.3300 the previous evening.
Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD85.04 per barrel from USD84.70 per barrel Thursday evening, while gold is valued at USD5,115.14 an ounce from USD5,066.00 an ounce the previous day.
As for Friday's macroeconomic calendar, at 1200 CET, Germany will release auto registration data.
At 1430 CET, from the US, focus will be on the unemployment rate and retail sales, while in the evening - as usual on Fridays - the COT Report will be released.
Among companies on Piazza Affari, results are expected from Banca Sistema and Beewize.
By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News reporter
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