(Alliance News) - On Tuesday, European markets were trading mixed at mid-session as investors kept a close eye on developments between Venezuela and the USA following the operation that led to the ousting of President Nicolás Maduro.

On the macroeconomic front, France's consumer price index rose by 0.8% year-on-year in December, slowing from November's 0.9%, according to the preliminary estimate from INSEE. On a monthly basis, the flash CPI recorded a 0.1% increase in December, following a 0.2% drop in the previous month.

The Eurozone's private sector economy, meanwhile, ended 2025 with its twelfth consecutive month of expansion, capping the strongest quarter since Q2 2023, though momentum slowed in December, according to the Hamburg Commercial Bank survey compiled by S&P Global.

The composite PMI fell to 51.5 in December from 52.8 in November, marking a three-month low but remaining above the 50 threshold.

Italy's services PMI dropped to 51.5 in December, down from November's two-and-a-half-year high of 55.0 and below market expectations of 54.

Thus, the Mib edged up 0.1% to 45,912.14, the Mid-Cap was slightly down at 59,477.23, the Small-Cap slipped 0.2% to 37,287.37, and Italy Growth declined by 0.1% to 8,808.89.

Paris' CAC 40 retreated by 0.5%, Frankfurt's DAX 40 was fractionally up at 24,880.90 points, and London's FTSE 100 gained 0.5%.

At Piazza Affari, Lottomatica – down 0.4% – closed 2025 with solid results and is preparing for another year of growth, with the group led by Guglielmo Angelozzi aiming to finalize an acquisition in the European online gaming segment, La Repubblica reported Tuesday.

According to data released by the Customs and Monopolies Agency, online casino bets in Italy rose by 18% in December to EUR333.7 million, compared to EUR281.9 million in the same period of 2024.

Eni, up 0.4%, announced that as of January 1, 2026, the business unit Refining Evolution & Transformation has been transferred to the new Eni Industrial Evolution Spa, a company established to manage traditional assets such as refineries and depots in Europe and the Middle East and to strengthen its industrial transformation path, including in the context of the circular economy.

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena – down 0.8% – is revising its bylaws, not merely as a technical move after the EUR14 billion Opas on Mediobanca, which was flat at EUR17.98 per share.

Shareholders will be asked to vote on significant changes ranging from the adoption of the board of directors' list to reducing profit reserves to 5%, raising bonus caps, and removing term limits for directors.

The US auto market is expected to close 2025 with better-than-expected results: Stellantis, down 0.3% in sales, nevertheless expects to end 2025 in the US with about 1.26 million vehicles sold, down 3% from over 1.3 million in 2024.

The index is led by DiaSorin, up 3.1%, and STMicroelectronics, up 2.5%.

Prysmian saw a 0.9% decline.

On the Mid-Cap, Avio continued to show strength, in line with other defense stocks following geopolitical tensions in Latin America and at the EU's doorstep. The stock gained 2.5% to EUR33.45 per share.

Pirelli also performed well, up 2.1% to EUR6.056 after Bernstein upgraded it to 'outperform' from 'market perform' and raised the target price to EUR7.00 from EUR5.20.

Webuild was up 1.7%, while Carel Industries fell 3.0% and Reply dropped 2.0%.

Juventus, following sanctions from Consob – albeit reduced – against the company and former executives, was down 0.5%.

On the Small-Cap, Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi Di Bologna – up 2.0% – closed a record 2025, with over 11 million passengers registered, a 3.4% increase over the previous year.

Abitare In saw strong buying, moving toward the top of the basket with an 8.5% rise to EUR3.05 per share.

Aeffe dropped 5.9%. Regarding the negotiated crisis settlement procedure for the company and its subsidiary Pollini, it announced that following confirmation of the protective measures outlined in the December 11 statement, Judge Antonella Rimondini granted Aeffe and Pollini's request for additional precautionary measures.

Zest posted one of the day's best performances on the index, up 7.8% to EUR0.138, while Bastogi was among the worst, falling 3.7% to EUR0.78 per share.

Among SMEs, Ubaldi Costruzioni Spa granted a total of 190,680 ordinary shares free of charge.

Specifically, one bonus share was granted for every five ordinary shares purchased as part of the offer for admission to trading on Euronext Growth Milan, for each investor who maintained full ownership of the issuer's shares continuously for at least 12 months from January 3, 2025. The stock was up 1.5%.

Regarding the full takeover bid for all ordinary and multiple voting shares of Eles Semiconductor Equipment Spa, flat at EUR3.20, Mare Group – flat at EUR4.11 per share – decided to grant Eles shareholders who accepted the offer an additional three open trading days to possibly revoke their acceptances.

The designated days are January 6, 7, and 8, and by the end of January 9, the final results of the offer will be published; January 12 is the new payment date for the offer.

Cloudia Research – flat at EUR1.05 per share – has agreed to the consensual termination of its contract to act as Euronext Growth Advisor with illimity Bank Spa, part of the Banca Ifis group.

Circle Group has secured a EUR250,000 contract from a major national logistics operator for the technological evolution and automation of two lanes with Totem for remote management at a multipurpose terminal in a Mediterranean port. The stock saw no trading activity.

Farmacosmo surged into double digits, up 15%. Edgelab posted a 4.5% decline.

In New York, during the European evening, the Dow Jones closed up 1.2%, the Nasdaq advanced 0.7%, while the S&P500 gained 0.6%.

On the currency front, the euro traded at USD1.1716 from USD1.1710 at Monday's European equity close, while the pound changed hands at USD1.3537 from USD1.3511 last night.

Among commodities, Brent traded at USD61.96 a barrel from USD61.60 a barrel at Monday's European equity close, while gold was valued at USD4,450.18 an ounce from USD4,444.67 an ounce last night.

On Tuesday's economic calendar, the US services composite index is due at 1545 CET.

By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News Reporter

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