(Alliance News) - On Thursday, major European stock exchanges close the session in the green, with Piazza Affari doing best of all and surpassing 34,600. Overseas, macro data pushes US stock markets into negative territory.

"Bitcoin rose 3.5 percent, crossing the USD100,000 threshold, after President-elect Donald Trump announced Paul Atkins as head of the Security and Exchange Commission," says Axel Rudolph, Senior Technical Analyst at IG.

"Positive sentiment also supported new highs for the S&P 500 and the DAX 40, despite higher-than-expected U.S. unemployment claims, a sharper-than-expected decline in Eurozone retail sales, and political uncertainty in France caused by the fall of the government."

The removal of martial law in South Korea and the maintenance of OPEC+ production levels for the first quarter of 2025 stabilized oil prices, while gold fell in anticipation of U.S. nonfarm payrolls data, according to IG expert.

Thus, the FTSE Mib closes up 1.6 percent at 34,626.28, the Mid-Cap rises 1.1 percent to 48,002.05, the Small-Cap advances 1.1 percent to 28,128.84, and Italy Growth ends up 0.3 percent at 7,747.06.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 closes in the green by 0.2 percent, Paris' CAC 40 ends with a gain of 0.5 percent, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 finishes ahead by 0.7 percent.

In macroeconomic news, in the U.S., the trade deficit narrowed to EUR73.8 billion in October, down from an upwardly revised gap of EUR83.8 billion in September and below forecasts of a USD75 billion deficit.

Exports fell 1.6 percent to USD265.7 billion due to declining sales of industrial supplies and materials, consumer goods, automobiles, trucks, buses and special vehicles, and computer accessories.

In contrast, exports of travel, transportation, charges for the use of intellectual property, telecommunications, computer and information services, and maintenance and repair services increased.

Also in the U.S., initial claims for unemployment benefits-known jobless claims-for the week ended Nov. 30 increased from the previous week, exceeding market expectations.

In France, industrial production fell for the second consecutive period by 0.1 percent on a monthly basis, easing September's revised 0.8 percent decline, but missing expectations for a 0.3 percent rebound, according to data released Thursday by INSEE.

Back in Milan, on Piazza Affari's largest-capitalization list, UniCredit does better than all and closes ahead 5.0 percent.

UniCredit CEO Andrea Orcel called the offer for Banco BPM -- in the green by 2.7 percent -- "fair," which involves an exchange of 0.175 UniCredit shares for each Banco BPM share, which corresponds to a price of EUR6.657 per share, a 15-20 percent premium to stock market prices unaffected by events, such as the takeover bid on Anima Holding -- in the green by 0.9 percent on the Mid-Cap -- and consolidation rumors, the daily Corriere della Sera further reports. The stock is advancing 2.5 percent.

Telecom Italia is doing well, finishing up 4.5% at EUR0.2369 in its third bullish session.

Stellantis does even better, closing up 3.8% at EUR12.55 on its third bullish session.

FinecoBank closes up 2.7 percent. The bank reported that in November, net inflows stood at EUR941 million, up 228% from EUR287 million a year ago, to EUR8.9 billion since the beginning of the year and surpassing the full-year 2023 figure.

In addition, following the Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process conducted by the European Central Bank, it reported capital ratios well above requirements.

Nexi -- in the green by 2.1 percent -- announced Thursday the consolidation of its partnership on digital payment services for the next five years with Banca del Piemonte.

The Italian Innovate consortium, coordinated by Cineca and comprising, among others, Snam - in the green by 0.2 percent - and Almawave - in the red by 1.6 percent among SMEs - was awarded the development of the first industrial supercomputer funded by EuroHPC.

This project is co-financed 35 percent by EuroHPC and 65 percent by consortium partners, with an estimated total cost of EUR16.9 million.

Prysmian closes the bluechip segment with a 1.1 percent loss, subject to profit taking after three sessions closed with bullish candlestick.

On the Mid-Cap, strength on Digital Value, ending ahead 12 percent at EUR22.75 per share, on its third bullish session.

Banca Generali - in the green by 1.5 percent - announced Thursday that, following receipt of authorization from the Bank of Italy, it intends to exercise its option to repay the outstanding EUR50 million Additional Tier 1 bond in full early on the first available repayment date.

In addition, the bank reported that it achieved net inflows of EUR510 million in November, up 39 percent year-on-year, bringing the cumulative total for 2024 to close to EUR5.7 billion, up 13 percent from the same period last year.

Maire - in the green by 0.8% - announced the opening of the new office of Tecnimont Private Limited, the Indian subsidiary of Tecnimont, in Airoli Navi Mumbai; the sixth in the Mumbai metropolitan area and the seventh in India.

Alerion ends in the green by 2.7 percent. The company "reaffirmed" Thursday "its confidence in the chairman" Josef Gostner, who is involved in an investigation by the Trento prosecutor's office accusing him of alleged abuse and illegal communication of insider information, as well as recommendations or inducements to others in the context of such violations.

Technoprobe, on the other hand, marks minus 1.1 percent, veering downward after yesterday's bullish session.

On the Small-Cap, doValue advances more than 12 percent, bringing the price to EUR1.58 per share.

Also doing well is Bialetti, which advances 1.7% with new price at EUR0.176 , after the eve's red with 1.1%. There is high trading volume on the stock, with more than 86,200 pieces changed hands compared with a three-month daily average of just under 36,000.

Among SMEs, G Rent soars more than 27 percent to EUR0.47, in its fifth bullish session.

Impianti - in the green by 1.6 percent - announced Thursday that it has signed a strategic partnership with Strada Artificial Intelligence Srl in the advanced air mobility sector.

Lemon Sistemi ends ahead 9.9 percent, in its third bullish session and with price in the EUR2.22 area.

TMP Group ends in the red by 1.6 percent. Intermonte Sim initiated a short position on the stock at 0.65 percent.

In New York, the Dow is in the red by 0.3 percent, the Nasdaq is in fractional green and the S&P 500 is in fractional red.

Among currencies, the euro changes hands at USD1.0571 from USD1.0529 on Wednesday in closing European equities. The pound is worth USD1.2754 versus USD1.2703 on Wednesday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD72.20 a barrel from USD73.31 at Wednesday night's close. Gold trades at USD2,661.49 an ounce from USD2,679.04 an ounce Wednesday evening.

Friday's macroeconomic calendar opens at 0800 CET with the Halifax index of house prices in the UK; at the same time, from Germany, the industrial production figure is expected; at 1000 CET, from Italy, it is the turn of retail sales; at 1100 CET, the Eurozone GDP figure will be available;

In the afternoon, from the US, at 1430 CET, the unemployment rate will be released; at 1515 CET, FOMC member Bowman's speech is expected.

It closes, also from the US, at 1900 CET with the Baker Hughes drilling rigs report.

No particular announcements are expected among companies listed on the stock market.

By Antonio Di Giorgio, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to redazione@alliancenews.com

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