(Alliance News) - The Mib moved higher on Wednesday, surpassing the 45,600-point level in the first part of the session, mirroring gains seen across other European stock markets, with the utilities sector leading the way.

Trading floors remain focused on the rising geopolitical risks in Iran and the possibility of U.S. intervention—factors that could trigger episodes of market volatility. Meanwhile, attention is also on a potential U.S. court ruling regarding the legality of tariffs imposed during the Trump administration, a key issue for transatlantic trade flows and export-exposed sectors.

On the macroeconomic front, the U.S. consumer price index came in broadly in line with expectations, confirming the current outlook for possible rate cuts in 2026.

The Mib is thus up 0.2% at 45,607.60 points.

Among the smaller indices, the Mid-Cap is up 0.6% at 61,054.92, the Small-Cap rises 0.4% to 37,807.54, while Italy Growth is up 0.1% at 8,833.76.

The CAC 40 gains 0.3%, pushing the index to a new all-time high at 8,396 points, the FTSE 100 is up 0.3%, while the DAX 40 is down 0.4%.

Among blue chips, Prysmian climbs 3.4% to EUR89.24 per share, following yesterday's green close with a 0.6% gain.

Buzzi takes second place, advancing 2.7% to EUR51.95 per share after a 7.2% drop in the previous session.

Hera is up 1.4%. The company, in response to some rumors, clarified on Wednesday that it is currently negotiating the acquisition of a significant perimeter of the Sostelia group, Italy's leading private player in industrial and civil water treatment technologies, controlled by Xenon Fidec.

Vår Energi, a subsidiary of Eni, announced on Tuesday that it has secured 14 new production licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf, six of which as operator, as part of the 2025 Awards in Predefined Areas. The stock rises 0.6%, reversing course after four bullish sessions.

On the secondary list, among the fallers—a clear minority—Ferretti is down 1.4% at EUR3.58 per share, reversing after a seven-session bullish trend.

Ariston Holding gains 3.5% to EUR4.55 per share, following yesterday's 2.3% uptick.

Webuild—up 2.3%—announced Wednesday that the group, leading the Metro C Consortium alongside Vianini Lavori, will construct the new T1 section of Rome's Metro Line C, connecting Clodio/Mazzini to Farnesina. The project, with a total value of EUR776 million—EUR268 million of which for Webuild—represents a strategic step to strengthen public transport in the city's northern quadrant.

Avio continues its bullish trend, pushing the price up 1.6%. Since the beginning of the year, the stock's market cap has increased by over 30%.

Banca Ifis—up 2.1%—completed the placement of a Tier 2 subordinated bond for institutional investors on Tuesday. As the company explained in a note, the issue has a ten-year maturity, expiring in April 2036, carries a coupon of 4.546%, and is callable after five years. The issued amount totals EUR400 million.

Iren—up 1.1%—announced Tuesday that, through its subsidiary Iren Mercato, it has signed a power purchase agreement with Alpiq for the supply of wind-generated electricity produced in Italy.

On the Small-Cap, Eurogroup Laminations jumps 7.2% to EUR3.61 per share, after a 1.0% gain yesterday.

Banca Sistema—up 2.0%—announced Tuesday evening that it fully meets consolidated capital requirements. As of March 31, Banca Sistema must maintain a CET1 ratio of 10.10%, a Tier 1 ratio of 11.60%, and a Total Capital Ratio of 13.60%.

These levels include not only the binding capital requirements set in the SREP process, but also the combined capital buffer requirement, which includes the specific countercyclical buffer and the systemic risk buffer.

Zucchi, on the other hand, is down 3.6%, marking its sixth consecutive bearish candle if confirmed at close, with the price around EUR0.70 per share.

Piquadro declines 0.4%. The company—with a market cap of about EUR120 million and a 28% free float—reverses after two bullish sessions.

Among SMEs, GM Leather rises 8.4% after two sessions among the fallers, with the price at EUR0.90 per share.

Haiki+—up 5.9%—announced Wednesday that it has secured from the Lombardy Region, as part of the 'Ri.Circo.Lo. Step' call, grants totaling about EUR2.8 million for two innovative projects aimed at recovering indium and rare earths from LCD panels. The first project, called Rhino, focuses on extracting platinum group metals from WEEE and automotive sector waste. The second project is named Parrot.

eVISO appreciates 2.7% to EUR7.24, after a flat session yesterday. On the MarketScreener platform, the stock shows an average target price—across three analysts—of EUR12.32, making it appear about 98% undervalued by this measure.

RedFish LongTerm Capital—up 2.3%—announced Tuesday an update to its stake in PureLabs Spa following the final outcome of the latter's capital increase. The company explained that the capital increase, initially approved for a total of EUR15 million, saw significant oversubscription, with total subscriptions exceeding EUR21 million.

This outcome led to an overall increase in the amount of the operation compared to initial expectations.

Circle Group—up 1.0%—announced Tuesday it has signed a 12-month contract with a major intermodal transport operator for the evolution of the MILOS MTO and TFP platforms, worth about EUR315,000.

In New York, during the European evening, the Dow Jones fell 0.8%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each lost 0.2%.

In currency markets, the euro is trading at USD1.1656 from USD1.1638 at Tuesday's European equities close, while the pound is at USD1.3455 from USD1.3429 last night.

Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD66.30 per barrel from USD65.80 per barrel at Tuesday's European equities close, while gold is valued at USD4,632.61 per ounce from USD4,595.58 per ounce last night.

On Wednesday's economic calendar, U.S. mortgage data is expected at 1300 CET and the retail sales report at 1430 CET.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News Reporter

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