MIB slips for the week; strong-sell on Avio

(Alliance News) - The MIB retreated to the 47,600 level on Friday, hitting a near two-week low and marking a weekly decline of over 2%, its first after five consecutive positive weeks.

The move comes amid a generalized weakening across major European equity markets, weighed down by a deteriorating geopolitical landscape and rising energy prices.

In particular, the stalemate in negotiations between the US and Iran, coupled with the risk of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, fueled upward pressure on the oil sector, negatively impacting sentiment and energy-intensive industries.

On the macro-monetary front, focus remains on the upcoming ECB meeting, where no changes to benchmark rates are expected. The central bank is anticipated by markets to maintain a data-dependent approach, aimed at assessing the combined effects of recent macro indicators and geopolitical tensions against its previous forecast scenario.

However, money markets continue to price in a restrictive path over the medium term, incorporating two 25-basis-point hikes in 2026 and a non-negligible probability of a further intervention before the end of the year.

A similar dynamic is observed in expectations for the Bank of England, while for the Federal Reserve, the consensus discounts a prolonged pause, with rates unchanged in the short term and no further interventions throughout the year.

Consequently, the FTSE Mib ended the session down 0.5% at 47,656.11, the Mid-Cap shed 0.6% to 57,698.07, the Small-Cap closed down 1.5% at 34,972.88, while Italy Growth fell 0.3% to 8,811.61.

London's FTSE 100 closed 0.8% lower, as did the CAC 40 in Paris, while Frankfurt's DAX 40 slipped 0.1%.

Back in Milan, on the MIB, Avio closed down 7.2%, marking its fourth consecutive bearish candle and a loss of 8.8% over the last five sessions.

Stellantis closed 4.9% lower at EUR6.83 per share, its third consecutive session in the red.

Fincantieri shed 4.6%, its fifth consecutive bearish session, with the price hovering around EUR12.16 per share.

Saipem closed up 2.7% at EUR4.33 per share, bringing its year-to-date gain to 77%.

Strength was also seen in Prysmian, which closed up 4.00%, marking its third bullish session and finishing as the top blue-chip performer.

In the mid-cap segment, selling pressure on Salvatore Ferragamo pushed the stock down 1.5% to EUR7.68 per share, its fourth consecutive bearish candle.

Safilo shed 2.8% after two positive sessions, ending at approximately EUR1.71 per share.

Reply - down 0.2% - announced on Thursday that its shareholders' meeting approved a new 18-month buyback program for up to 3.5 million ordinary shares, for an amount not exceeding EUR550,000,000.

Conversely, Revo Insurance saw a solid boost, rising 2.1% after a 3.7% contraction in the previous session.

NewPrinces advanced 2.7% to EUR17.62 following a 2.1% loss in the prior session.

On the Small-Cap index, OPS Italia closed down 5.5% at EUR0.1210, its third bearish session.

Seri Industrial - down over 15% - reported first-quarter 2026 revenues of EUR41.5 million, a 29% decrease compared to EUR58.4 million in the same period of 2025, reflecting a decline of EUR16.9 million. Specifically, revenue from customers stood at EUR36.3 million, down 32% from EUR53.7 million, while other operating income rose to EUR5.2 million, up 10% from EUR4.7 million.

Geox - up 0.5% - announced on Wednesday that its shareholders' meeting, in addition to approving the financial statements as of December 31, 2025, and a new share buyback plan, resolved to appoint Francesco Di Giovanni as a member of the board of directors.

Pininfarina saw its price rise by 2.5% after a 1.4% loss in the previous session.

Among SMEs, Finanza.Tech gained 6.2%, marking its third consecutive bullish candle with a final price of EUR0.3080.

Ambromobiliare advanced 5.9%, rebounding from a 10% slump the previous day, with the price now orbiting the EUR0.71 per share mark.

SolidWorld Group - down 2.8% - announced on Thursday that its wholly-owned subsidiary SolidWorld Middle East, based in Dubai, secured a new contract worth EUR400,000 from a leading UAE-based aerospace entity operating as an end-to-end service provider for logistics and supply chain solutions.

Berger International announced on Thursday the launch of a mandatory takeover bid for Culti Milano - up 0.3% - after acquiring 77.2% of the company's share capital.

The board of RedFish LongTerm Capital - down 2.4% - approved management data as of March 31 on Thursday, closing the period with consolidated revenues of EUR17.3 million, up 4.6% compared to EUR16.5 million recorded as of March 31, 2025.

On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1707 from USD1.1708 on Thursday evening, while the pound is at USD1.3503 from USD1.3501 yesterday evening.

Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD105.7 per barrel from USD103.19 on Thursday evening, while gold is valued at USD4,722.30 per ounce from USD4,732.00 yesterday evening.

Monday's economic calendar includes the GfK German consumer sentiment report at 0900 CEST, while US Treasury auctions for three-month and five-year notes are expected at 1730 CEST.

Among Piazza Affari companies, results are expected from Borgosesia, OPS eCOM, and Pininfarina.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News reporter

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