(Alliance News) - Europe's major stock markets meet forecasts and open higher on Monday on a quiet day on the macroeconomic front.

Thus, the FTSE Mib opens in the green by 0.3 percent to 27,828.61. Among the smaller lists, the Mid-Cap is in the green 0.5 percent to 44,822.23, the Small-Cap picks up 0.4 percent to 30,349.82, and Italy Growth is up 0.5 percent to 9,680.87.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 advances 0.2 percent, London's FTSE 100 picks up 0.1 percent while Frankfurt's DAX 40 is in the green by 0.1 percent.

U.S. markets are closed today for President's Day, "but there is no shortage of data coming in the rest of the week as investors reflect on the current state of the nation. Fed minutes and a further print on inflation in the form of the personal consumption expenditures number will provide additional data on the economy, while updates on consumer strength are expected," comments Richard Hunter, Head of Markets at interactive investor.

Also on the central banking front, as the ECB heads toward a 50 basis point hike in March, the People's Bank of China on Monday left its benchmark rates unchanged for the sixth consecutive month at the February fixing, as widely expected.

The benchmark one-year rate, used for business and household loans, was kept unchanged at 3.65 percent, while the five-year rate, a benchmark for mortgages, was kept at 4.3 percent.

On the main list in Piazza Affari, at the top was Pirelli, up 2.0 percent, followed by Saipem, in the green by 1.3 percent.

Enel -- up 1.1% -- announced Friday evening that it had sold stakes in two Argentine companies -- Central Puerto and Enel Generación Costanera -- for a total of USD102 million.

Inwit opens in the red by 0.5 percent. On Friday, the company reported that the board of directors appointed Emilia Trudu as the company's director of administration, finance and control effective March 6, 2023.

The new commercial director will be taken over by Lucio Golinelli effective the same date.

Leonardo -- up 0.1 percent -- and Wojskowe Zak?ady Lotnicze Nr 1, part of the Polish defense group PGZ, on Friday concluded an agreement for long-term support of the Polish Air Force's fleet of M-346 "Bielik" aircraft, implementing the collaboration already in place.

At the tail end is Telecom Italia, which opens 2.2 percent in the red. Also hurting is Tenaris, down 1.0%.

On the Mid-Cap, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is at the top with a plus 5.1%. Thursday reported that rating agency Moody's Investors Service upgraded the bank's ratings by 2 notches, raising the standalone Baseline Credit Assessment to "b1" from "b3," the long-term deposit rating to "Ba2" from "B1," and the subordinated debt rating to "B2" from "Caa1."

The long-term senior unsecured debt rating was upgraded by 3 notches to "B1" from "Caa1."

Cementir Holding and Italmobiliare followed, up 3.1 percent from 2.5 percent.

Acea's board of directors -- up 0.8 percent -- on Friday co-opted Barbara Marinali as a new nonexecutive director, replacing Michaela Castelli who resigned Feb. 14, 2023.

The board of directors appointed Marinali as chairman of the board.

Among the bearers, who are the minorities, Ariston Holding is on the bottom with minus 0.8 percent, Ascopiave gives up 0.7 percent Zignago Vetro is down 0.5 percent.

On the Small-Cap, PLC--up 3.1%--reported Friday that PLC System, a group company, has signed a contract with Opdenergy Italia for the turnkey construction of a utility substation subservient to a 25 MW photovoltaic park in Contrada "La Francesca," Benevento province.

Doing better is only Eems, up 4.1 percent within minutes of the bell ringing.

Tesmec is up 1.7 percent. On Thursday it reviewed some preliminary management data for fiscal 2022, showing revenues up about 25 percent from fiscal 2021, thanks to the performance of the rail sector, the recovery of the trencher sector in the U.S. market, and an improved mix in the energy sector.

The group reported preliminary revenues for fiscal year 2022 in excess of EUR240.0 million in line with forecasts, up from EUR194.3 million as of Dec. 31, 2021, thanks to the important contribution of the businesses developed in recent years, rail and energy automation, which partially offset the difficulties of the trencher and stringing segment, which were more affected by critical supply issues.

Among SMEs, Marzocchi Pumps is still not trading. It reported Friday that, following the conclusion of the working relationship between the company and Aldo Toscano, shareholder Abbey Road exercised its option to purchase the entire stake in Toscano, corresponding to about 1.6 percent of the share capital, at the fixed price already agreed upon at the date of signing the aforementioned agreements and equal to the original book value of the stake, equivalent to EUR70,000.

SCK Group through Sciuker Frames-which opens up by 1.9 percent-announced on Friday, in light of the recent regulatory provisions on 110, that it "intends to reassure its investors about the objectives of the Business Plan to 2024, as the backlog related to the 110 interventions placed among the plan assumptions falls substantially within the transitional rules provided by Decree Law 11/2023 that allow the normal operation of the assignment of credit for all those interventions covered by Cila on the date of publication of the same Decree in the Official Gazette," the company explained in a note.

Digital360 opens up 7.1 percent after announcing its key annual figures for 2022 on Friday, reporting pro forma revenues of EUR77 million from EUR41.4 million, up 85 percent from the same period last year.

Eles also did well, in the green by 2.9 percent pending today's expected results.

Pro forma Ebitda came in at EUR14 million from EUR8 million, up 75% on 2021.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed in the green 0.1 percent to 27,531.94, the Shanghai Composite gained 2.1 percent to 3,290.34, and the Hang Seng picked up 0.8 percent to 20,886.96.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0696 versus USD1.0678 at Friday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2044 from USD1.2019 on Friday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD83.80 per barrel versus USD83.13 per barrel Friday night. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,845.25 an ounce from USD1,839.66 an ounce at Friday's close.

On Monday's economic calendar, with U.S. stock exchanges closed, at 1100 CET will come the construction data from the Eurozone.

At 1430 CET, the import price index and export price index from the US will come out.

At 1600 is expected the European consumer confidence data.

As for the companies listed on Piazza Affari, the results of Eles are expected.

By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter

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