Mib Surges Past 45,600; Stock Market Rally Continues

(Alliance News) - European markets continued their upward trend on Wednesday, with Milan pushing its blue-chip index past the 45,600-point threshold.

On the macroeconomic front, investors drew momentum from better-than-expected Chinese trade data, while attention shifted to a potential ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the legitimacy of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

In terms of monetary policy, despite pressure from the U.S. government on the Federal Reserve, markets continue to price in a 'hold' decision for the upcoming meeting scheduled at the end of the month.

The Mib is thus trading up by 0.3% at 45,675.73 points.

Among the secondary indices, the Mid-Cap is up 0.5% at 60,997.32, the Small-Cap is up 0.4% at 37,810.65, while the Italy Growth index rises 0.2% to 8,837.79.

The CAC 40 is up 0.5%, the FTSE 100 is up 0.3%, while the DAX 40 posts a 0.1% gain.

Among blue chips, Buzzi leads the index, climbing 2.7% to EUR51.95 per share after a 7.2% drop in the previous session.

Hera, meanwhile, is up 1.0%. The company, addressing recent rumors, clarified on Wednesday that it is engaged in negotiations regarding the acquisition of a significant portion of the Sostelia group, Italy's leading private player in industrial and civil water technology and treatment, controlled by Xenon Fidec.

Vår Energi, controlled by Eni, announced on Tuesday that it has secured 14 new production licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf, including 6 as operator, as part of the 2025 Awards in Predefined Areas. The stock opened down 0.1%, reversing course after four consecutive bullish sessions.

In the mid-cap segment, Avio is gaining momentum, with its price rising 1.6%, continuing its upward trend. Since the start of the year, the stock has increased its market cap by over 30%.

Banca Ifis – up 1.9% – completed the placement of a Tier 2 subordinated bond aimed at institutional investors on Tuesday. As explained in a company statement, the issue has a ten-year maturity, expiring in April 2036, carries a 4.546% coupon, and is callable after 5 years. The amount issued totals EUR400 million.

Iren – up 1.2% – announced on 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 segment, Eurogroup Laminations advanced 7.0% to EUR3.61 per share, following a 1.0% gain the previous day.

Banca Sistema – up 0.9% – announced on Tuesday evening that it fully meets consolidated capital requirements. As of March 31, Banca Sistema will be required to 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 during the SREP process, but also the combined capital buffer requirement, including the specific countercyclical buffer and the systemic risk buffer.

Zucchi, on the other hand, is down 3.8%, facing its sixth consecutive bearish candle if confirmed at the close.

Piquadro is also declining, down 2.0%. The company – with a market cap of around EUR120 million and a free float of 28% – has reversed course after two bullish sessions.

Among SMEs, GM Leather is up 7.2%, following two sessions among the losers.

eViso rises 2.7% to EUR7.24, after a flat session the previous day.

RedFish LongTerm Capital – up 2.3% – announced on Tuesday the update of its stake in PureLabs Spa following the final outcome of the latter's capital increase. The company explained that PureLabs' capital increase, initially approved for a total amount of EUR15 million, was significantly oversubscribed, with total subscriptions exceeding EUR21 million.

This outcome led to an expansion of the overall size of the transaction compared to initial expectations.

Circle Group – up 1.0% – announced on Tuesday that it has signed a 12-month contract with a major intermodal transport operator for the development of the MILOS MTO and TFP platforms, valued at approximately EUR315,000.

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

Among Asian markets, the Hang Seng closed up 0.6%, the Shanghai Composite fell 0.3%, while the Nikkei gained 1.5%.

On the currency front, the euro is trading at USD1.1645 from USD1.1638 at Tuesday's European stock market close, while the pound is trading at USD1.3442 from USD1.3429 last night.

Among commodities, Brent is trading at USD64.85 per barrel from USD65.80 per barrel at Tuesday's European market close, while gold is valued at USD4,631.67 an ounce from USD4,595.58 an ounce last night.

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

No significant announcements are expected from Borsa Italiana.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News Reporter

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