(Alliance News) – On Wednesday, major global and European stock exchanges closed higher despite mixed signals from overseas, where tariff discussions remain in focus, and from the Eurozone, which saw improved retail sales but a downturn in German industrial orders.

The FTSE Mib ended the session up 0.7% at 41,009.73 points. The Mid-Cap gained 0.1% to 55,749.64, the Small-Cap rose 0.1% to 32,545.48, and the Italy Growth index closed up 0.1% at 8,306.85 points.

Elsewhere, Paris’s CAC 40 finished up 0.1%, Frankfurt’s DAX 40 advanced 0.2%, and London’s FTSE 100 gained 0.3%.

Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at IG, commented: “It is fairly certain that any Trump appointee joining the Fed board will push for lower rates, so markets have resumed selling dollars, continuing the trend that began on Friday.”

He further noted, “With precious metals gaining ground again, Fresnillo is once more near the top of the leaderboard, having already delivered a very impressive return this year that overshadows the rest of the FTSE 100,” Beauchamp concluded.

The FTSE Mib was strongly propelled by the robust performance of banks, which occupied nearly all of the top ten spots on the index.

The day’s best result came from Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which closed up 5.0% at EUR7.858 per share.

The bank reported its half-year results, posting a group net operating result of EUR936 million, an increase from the EUR897 million recorded in the first half of 2024.

Banco BPM posted a record profit of EUR1.21 billion, up 62% year-on-year, driven by the integration of Anima and EUR97.4 million in dividends from MPS. While CEO Castagna noted that the banking consolidation story is still in its early stages, the stock gained 2.2%.

BPER also posted a record result in the first half, achieving its highest-ever performance with net profit up 30% year-on-year. The stock closed up 3.2%.

Fitch withdrew its rating on Stellantis–up 0.7%–for commercial reasons, lowering its outlook from Stable to Negative, while affirming its long-term ‘BBB’ rating. As Milano Finanza observed, the downgrade reflects concerns about the sustainability of the company’s turnaround plan.

Assicurazioni Generali posted positive results with a 5% increase in profits, which lifted the stock by 2.1%.

The company sent a response to Mediobanca–up 4.0%–regarding the letter it received with further details on the OPS concerning all shares of Banca Generali, which rose 2.6%. The correspondence focused on a potential future industrial partnership between the Generali and Mediobanca groups.

After reporting its financials, Interpump confirmed its revenue and profitability forecasts for 2025, with the stock advancing 3.4% to EUR37.24 per share.

Ferrari, after Tuesday’s strong performance, ended at the bottom of the index with a 2.5% decline.

On the Mid-Cap, Banco Desio Brianza gained 5.0% to EUR7.19 per share after releasing solid results and sharply improving indicators compared to the first half of 2024.

BFF Bank also fared well, reporting adjusted net profit of EUR75.3 million, up from EUR71.0 million in the same period in 2024. The stock gained 4.6%.

On Wednesday, Webuild announced that the CIPESS–the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development–had officially approved the final design for the Strait of Messina Bridge, which will connect Sicily and Calabria.

Webuild, leading the Eurolink consortium as “General Contractor,” secured a contract valued at EUR10.6 billion. The stock closed down 0.5%.

Lottomatica, which repurchased its own ordinary shares for EUR6.9 million, slipped 0.4%.

Credem posted a positive result, up 1.8%, after closing the first six months of the year with higher profits but shrinking margins.

At the bottom of the index was Garofalo Health Care, down 2.7% to EUR4.775 per share.

On the Small-Cap, declining first-half profits and revenues led FILA to a 4.2% drop, with shares at EUR8.36 each.

SIT, which returned to profit after a EUR4.7 million loss in the corresponding half of 2024, estimated that tariffs would have an insignificant impact. This projection sent the stock soaring 19% to EUR1.425 per share.

Softlab also saw strong buying, ending trading up 19%.

Tesmec, up 11%, narrowed its first-half losses while showing sharply higher revenues.

At the back of the pack were Bestbe Holding, down 11%; Piquadro, down 5.5%, with consolidated revenue of EUR36.8 million, up 2.0% from EUR36.1 million in the same period last year.

Among SMEs, Otofarma debuted on Piazza Affari after an IPO exceeding EUR10.0 million: its debut was successful, with shares rising 13% to EUR6.10 each.

EdiliziAcrobatica reported consolidated revenues of EUR80.5 million in the first half, up 14% from EUR70.6 million in the first half of 2024. The stock gained 2.1%.

Innovatec and Cofle also performed well, up 8.4% and 10%, respectively.

On Wednesday, Talea Group announced that Borsa Italiana had temporarily suspended trading in its ordinary shares, pending the appointment of a new Euronext Growth Advisor.

ICOP, which together with Eteria won a contract to expand the A4 motorway for over EUR560 million, closed up 2.6%.

Farmacosmo slipped 0.2% to EUR0.49 per share, while Dedem ended the day down 7.1% at EUR4.18 per share.

In New York, the Dow Jones was up 0.2%, the Nasdaq gained 0.5%, and the S&P 500 advanced 0.4%.

On the currency front, the euro was trading at USD1.1634 from USD1.1576 at Tuesday’s close, while the pound was at USD1.3332 from USD1.3305 last night.

Among commodities, Brent crude traded at USD68.45 from USD68.07 per barrel at the previous close, while gold was valued at USD3,376.275 from USD3,383.88 per ounce last night.

Looking at Thursday’s economic calendar, Chinese import and export data are due at 0500 CEST. At 0800 CEST, focus shifts to German imports and industrial production, while at 0845 CEST, France’s import and export figures are released.

At 1000 CEST, the European Central Bank’s monthly report is due, and at 1330 CEST, the Bank of England will comment on UK inflation.

From 1430 CEST, US labor market data will be analyzed, from jobless claims to labor costs.

At 1515 CEST, Bank of England Governor Bailey is scheduled to speak, while from 1730 CEST, the US Treasury will hold auctions for 4- and 8-week bills.

From Piazza Affari, half-year results are expected from eight companies, including GVS, AbitareIn, TXT e-Solutions, and Technoprobe.

By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News Reporter

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