(Alliance News) - Major European stock markets traded in positive territory on Friday as the UK witnessed a change of the helm in government, with Labour set to take office shortly after 14 years in opposition. Sir Keir Starmer's Labour won a historic victory in elections held yesterday.

As widely predicted by all the latest polls and confirmed by early exit polls, Britain's main opposition party won a majority in the House of Commons against the Tory Conservatives of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who resigned as leader of the Tories in the morning.

Starmer's Labour elected 410 MPs out of 650 at Westminster, gaining a historic and overwhelming majority strong at 34 percent nationwide with a gap of more than 10 percentage points from the Conservatives.

Thus, the FTSE Mib opens in the green 0.2 percent to 34,200.74, the Mid-Cap is up 0.2 percent to 47,837.93, the Small-Cap is advancing 0.3 percent to 29,290.25, and Italy Growth is giving up 0.1 percent to 8,096.77.

In Europe, Paris' CAC 40 is in the green by 0.4 percent, London's FTSE100 is up 0.3 percent and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is up 0.9 percent.

On the Mib does best of all STMicroelectronics, up 2.8%, on its fourth bullish candle.

Foraz also Saipem, in the green by 1.0%, rallying etsta after two bearish sessions.

FinecoBank, on the other hand, is rising 1.8%. The company reported Thursday that net inflows amounted to EUR997 million in June -- compared to EUR764 million in the same month of 2023 -- thus surpassing the EUR5 billion threshold in the first half of the year for the fourth consecutive year. The managed component amounted to EUR424 million, with Fineco Asset Management's retail inflows at EUR215 million and largely offsetting outflows from insurance of EUR84 million.

Strength also on Enel, in the green by 1.1%, on its third bullish candle.

Terna, on the other hand, rises 0.8 percent, after it signed an ESG-linked credit facility agreement with UniCredit on Thursday - up 0.6 percent - for a total amount of EUR200 million. The credit facility will have a total term of five years, with an interest rate also linked to Terna's performance on specific environmental, social and governance indicators.

Among the bearish, Amplifon sits on the bottom, giving up 5.7 percent to EUR31.39 per share, in its third bearish session.

Sales also on Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, which retreats 1.0% to EUR4.88 per share.

On the cadet list, Salvatore Ferragamo rises 1.1%. On the stock sim mentions that Goldman Sachs upgraded its recommendation on the stock to 'neutral' from 'sell,' albeit cutting the target price to EUR9.10 from EUR10.00.

Strength also on Technoprobe, which is picking up 2.2 percent to EUR9.47 per share, heading for the fourth session to close in the black.

The board of directors of Maire Tecnimont -- up 0.7 percent -- on Thursday approved the transfer to its subsidiary NextChem Spa of its entire stake in KT TECH Spa, a company formed as a result of the recent spinoff of KT Kinetics Technology Spa, operating in the Integrated E&C Solutions BU.

KT TECH was assigned, effective July 1, the business unit known as "know-how and technology," including personnel, expertise and contracts

related to technologies mainly for hydrogen and methanol production and sulfur recovery.

On the Small-Cap, Abitare In is advancing 8.5 percent to EUR4.45 per share, on its third bullish candle.

Good session also for Beghelli, which is up 2.1 percent with new price at EUR0.2480, on the heels of eve's green closed with a plus 2.1 percent.

Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi Di Bologna - down 0.3% - on Thursday reported that it had reached a new record, with passengers reaching 1.1 million in June, up 8.9% on the same month last year and becoming the month with the highest passenger traffic in the airport's entire history.

Banca Profilo, meanwhile, is flat at EUR0.2160, after closing two sessions bullish. The bank "commented" Wednesday in the evening on rumors published by some press outlets regarding the sale of Arepo BP Spa's stake held in Banca Profilo's share capital. Arepo BP, the bank's controlling shareholder and parent company of the Banca Profilo group, confirmed that "an exclusive negotiation is currently underway, the outcome of which will be promptly communicated to the market when all conditions are met," the statement read.

IGD SIIQ -- in the green by 2.1 percent -- unveiled the strategic guidelines of its new 2025-2027 business plan on Thursday. The plan aims to increase portfolio profitability by leveraging innovation, generate further value with the Third Party Services Business Unit, putting itself forward as a key player in the retail market, invest to keep the assets modern and attractive, improving their environmental sustainability and technological and digital profile, improve the management of financial maturities and make them more consistent with cash flows, consolidate the capital structure also through a targeted plan of divestments and asset rotation, and return to dividend distribution. The plan will also include a strategy of Divestments and Asset Rotation, with divestments potentially totaling EUR100-120 million.

Among the SMEs, Execus-not yet affected by the exchanges-announced Thursday that it has approved a capital increase of up to EUR2.5 million to be offered by July 8, reserved for qualified investors and strategic partners. The aucap is to be subscribed in cash with issuance of up to 1.4 million new ordinary shares. The board of directors set the minimum subscription price at EUR1.76 per share and the maximum subscription price at EUR1.78 per share.

Culti Milano pushes ahead 3.2 percent, in its third bullish session.

SolidWorld Group--up 0.7 percent--announced Thursday that Dubai-based subsidiary SolidWorld Middle East DMCC has secured a EUR800,000 order to supply two 3D design and printing systems in industrial and textile environments for a major UAE government agency in October

Circle - flat at EUR7.94 - announced Thursday that it has entered into an agreement with a Mediterranean port for the use of Port Community Services offered by the group. The value of the contract is over EUR700,000 and will run for about 18 months, expandable up to an additional EUR1.0 million for a total value of EUR1.7 million and a period of up to 24 months.

Askoll Eva, on the other hand, gives up 6.8 percent, after a 4.6 percent green in the previous session.

In Asia, the Nikkei closed fractionally in the red at 40,912.37, the Hang Seng gave up 1.3 percent to 17,799.61 and the Shanghai Composite closed down 0.3 percent to 2,949.93.

In New York, markets were closed for Independence Day on July 4.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0823 from USD1.0813 on Thursday in closing European equities while the pound was worth USD1.2770 from USD1.2763 on Thursday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude trades at USD87.54 per barrel from USD87.52 per barrel at Thursday's close. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD2,371.50 an ounce from USD2,358.00 on Thursday evening.

On Friday's macroeconomic calendar, the US unemployment figure arrives from the US in the afternoon. At 1900 CEST, however, it will be the turn of the Baker Hughes drilling rigs report.

At 2130 CEST, as usual on Friday, the COT Report will be released.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News reporter

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