(Alliance News) - Europe's major stock markets all moved below parity at mid-day on Monday, on a day that was poor in terms of macro economic data but weighed down by continued declines in oil, weighing on the performance of oil stocks.

Thus, the FTSE Mib gives up 0.9 percent to 27,496.07.

Among Italy's smaller lists, the Mid-Cap gives up 0.2 percent to 43,788.77, the Small-Cap retreats 0.8 percent to 29,245.06, and Italy Growth advances 0.4 percent to 9,277.43.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 gives up 0.2 percent, London's FTSE 100 is fractionally red while Frankfurt's DAX 40 is just below par.

Also of note, German business sentiment improved slightly in April, as disclosed by the ifo economic research center on Monday.

The ifo Business Climate Index rose to 93.6 points in April from 93.2 points in March, and this was due to improved business expectations. However, companies rated their current situation somewhat worse as their concerns have eased but the economy still lacks dynamism.

On the main list of Piazza Affari, at the bottom ends Leonardo, which gives up 1.7 percent, while oil stocks continue to remain in the bearish zone.

Saipem gives up 1.5 percent, while Tenaris loses 0.4 percent and Eni retreats with 0.7 percent.

Intesa Sanpaolo--which opens in the green by 0.4 percent after closing in the red by 0.2 percent--and Salcef Group announced on Friday that they have signed an agreement to reclaim tax credits related to building bonuses and Superbonus with a tax value of EUR40 million.

Telecom Italia remains in the red zone and gives up 0.3 percent after finishing in the tail on Friday, giving up 4.3 percent. It lost EUR560 million in capitalization in five sessions from April 14 to 21.

Interpump Group, in the green by 1.0%, announced the acquisition of a 70% stake in I.Mec.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Reggio Emilia, I.Mec specializes in the manufacture of mechanical screens, i.e., devices for the granulometric selection of matter through vibration mechanisms, with the ceramic, recycling, purification, food and cosmetics industries as its main application sectors. The company ended fiscal year 2022 with a turnover of about EUR17 million and an Ebitda margin in the neighborhood of 23 percent.

The value of the deal was set at around EUR14 million.

Well Stellantis, which remains in the lead with a 2.5 percent rise followed by Banco BPM and Ferrari, up 1.8 percent and 1.4 percent respectively.

On the Mid-Cap, Maire Tecnimont remains at the top with a 1.7 percent rise.

The company announced Friday that its subsidiary NextChem, part of the Sustainable Technology Solutions business unit, after completing the advanced engineering study for methanation for the Salamandre project in Normandy, has been awarded a new contract from Storengy to perform an additional advanced engineering study for gasification of wood waste and purification of synthesis gas system to produce biomethane.

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore is flat at EUR1.96 after announcing Thursday that it has executed a contract to sell its 18.45 percent stake in Società Europea di Edizioni Spa, publisher of the daily newspaper Il Giornale, to PBF Srl.

Cementir Holding--down 0.1 percent--reported that the shareholders' meeting renewed the board of directors, which will serve a three-year term, reducing the number of members to eight, including one executive director, Francesco Caltagirone, and seven nonexecutive directors.

Salvatore Ferragamo gives up 0.3 percent after closing down 5.9 percent Friday. The company announced Thursday consolidated revenues for the first quarter of 2023 reporting a decline to EUR277.9 million as of March 31 from EUR289.4 million in the same period of 2022.

The worst performer is still Juventus, in the red by 2.3 percent.

On the Small-Cap, Bioera finishes at the bottom with a 4.9 percent decline after reporting Friday night that the board of directors approved the financial statements as of December 31, 2022 reporting a group loss of EUR4.1 million compared to a profit of EUR15.3 million in fiscal year 2021.

Revenues, on the other hand, were EUR626,000 compared to EUR19.8 million in the previous year.

Giglio Group, up 5.3 percent, and algoWatt, which climbs 7.6 percent to the top after announcing Monday that it has entered into an "important framework agreement with a leading Italian credit institution," for evolutionary and corrective maintenance of remote control solutions for technological systems and management of maintenance teams at locations throughout Italy.

Sogefi gives up 1.7 percent. The company announced Friday that in the first quarter of 2023 it posted revenues of EUR431.6 million, up 13 percent from EUR381.1 million in the same period of 2022.

Net income for the period amounted to EUR13.2 million up from EUR10.7 million in the first quarter of 2022.

Autostrade Merididionali retreats 1.0 percent after its share price in the last five trading days alone fell to EUR23.30 at Thursday's close from EUR19.80 five sessions ago.

Among SMEs, Esautomotion rises 4.5 percent after announcing Saturday that it has signed a EUR10.0 million investment agreement and shareholders' agreement to acquire the business of Sangalli Servomotori Srl, a company active in the electric motors market, through the purchase of the entire share capital of a newly established company.

At the top is Impianti, up 16 percent.

SolidWorld Group is doing well, picking up 10 percent after announcing Monday that the first Electrospider, a 3D bioprinter capable of making reproductions of human cells and tissues using additive technology, will be delivered in September, with mass production announced for Feb. 16, 2023.

Take Off advances 8.1 percent, on the strength of first-quarter revenues announced Monday to EUR8.3 million, up more than 34 percent from EUR6.2 million as of March 31, 2022.

TrenDevice - in the red by 1.2 percent - announced on Friday that in the first three months of 2023 it posted revenues of EUR4.1 million, down slightly from EUR5.1 million in the same period of 2022.

This decrease, the company explained in a note, was due to the abandonment of the sales channel related to foreign marketplaces, which was characterized by too low margins compared to management's expectations.

Finlogic gives up 0.4 percent after reporting Thursday that first-quarter revenues rose 34 percent year-on-year to EUR20.3 million from EUR15.1 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

Without including the two companies taken over during 2022 in the accounts, revenues would mark a 12 percent increase to EUR16.9 million from EUR15.1 million.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed in fractional green at 28,571.96 and the Hang Seng gave up 0.6 percent to 19,959.94, while the Shanghai Composite finished down 0.8 percent at 3,275.41.

In New York on Friday, the Dow Jones closed above par at 33,808.96, the S&P finished in fractional green at 4,133.52 while the Nasdaq finished up 0.1 percent at 12,072.46.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.1016 versus USD1.0973 at Friday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2441 from USD1.2415 on Friday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD81.38 per barrel USD81.54 per barrel Friday night. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,985.34 an ounce from USD1,976.36 an ounce at Friday's close.

On Friday's economic calendar, Canada's new home price index is expected at 1430 CEST.

By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter

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