(Alliance News) - European stock markets mark a slight uptick Friday after the open, with investors awaiting key Eurozone and U.S. inflation data that could influence the trajectory of interest rates.

February's German retail trade report showed an unexpected drop in sales in Europe's largest economy, and U.K. economic growth was revised slightly upward to a 0.1 percent expansion in the final three months of 2022.

Finally, the European Central Bank on the market positioning side is expected to continue with further rate hikes, but these may be at a slower pace due to recent problems in the financial system.

Thus, the FTSE Mib, marks a 0.3 percent red at 26,945.52.

Among the smaller listings, the Mid-Cap is in the fractional red at 43,582.90, the Small-Cap is giving up 0.2 percent to 29,965.96, and Italy Growth is in the red 0.3 percent to 9,382.68.

In Europe, Paris's CAC 40 is advancing 0.1 percent, while London's FTSE 100 and Frankfurt's DAX 40 are green by 0.1 percent.

On the main list in Piazza Affari, Tenaris is off to a good start, advancing 1.1 percent to EUR13.21 per share. The company announced Thursday that its Brazilian subsidiary Confab Industrial, along with its subsidiaries Ternium Investments and Ternium Argentina, which make up the T/T Group within the Usiminas control group, have signed a share purchase agreement to take over 68.7 million ordinary shares of Usinas Siderúrgicas de Minas Gerais SA from Nippon Steel Corporation, Mitsubishi and MetalOne.

Telecom Italia, on the other hand, picks up 0.8 percent. As Francesco Bonazzi wrote in Alliance News, "the Telecom knot, namely the presence on the shareholder's book of a rocky first shareholder like Vivendi, is finally coming to the boil, and the Network game will soon be in the hands of the Italian government, so far a cautious observer. Instead, the solution of the ITA Airways rebus comes fully into focus, with Lufthansa negotiating on the price and apparently oriented to offer EUR200 million."

Nexi, equally in the high quarters, marks a plus 0.6 percent at EUR7.33 per share and pointing to its fourth session to end on the bullish side.

Among the bearish side, Monte dei Paschi gives ground by 1.0 percent to EUR1.97 reversing course after three bullish sessions.

On the Mid-Cap, Brunello Cucinelli advances 2.7%, bringing the price to EUR95.55 near its 52-week high.

Ariston Holding, on the other hand, advances 2.7 percent to EUR10.00 and on which it is mentioned that HSBC has initiated coverage by pricing it at EUR14.00.

Industrie De Nora, on the other hand, rises 1.5 percent, on the heels of the previous two equally bullish ones.

On the Small-Cap, Netweek advances 7.5 percent to EUR0.0430, following eve's green with 2.6 percent.

Conafi equally ranks in the high quarters rising 4.4 percent to EUR0.4280 and rearing its head again after two bearish sessions.

Giglio Group, on the other hand, gives up 8.3%, closing down the list and following up on the previous two bearish sessions.

Among SMEs, Datrix advances 7.0% to EUR3.05 per share, in its fourth bullish session.

Caribbean Company - flat at EUR4.61 - reported that it ended fiscal year 2022 with adjusted net income of EUR3.5 million, up 32 percent from EUR2.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2021. Revenues amounted to EUR56.1 million, up about 31 percent from EUR43.0 million in 2021.

In New York overnight Europe, the Dow Jones closed up 0.4 percent, the S&P up 0.6 percent, and the Nasdaq advanced 0.7 percent.

Among the Asian exchanges, the Hang Seng is up 0.8 percent, the Shanghai Composite picked up 0.4 percent, and the Nikkei rallied 0.9 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0892 against USD1.0900 at Thursday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2383 from USD1.2371 on Thursday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD77.98 per barrel versus USD79.06 per barrel on Thursday evening. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,976.39 an ounce from USD1,973.67 an ounce at Thursday's close.

On Friday's economic calendar, at 1000 CET it is the turn of Italian industrial sales, followed at 1100 CET by inflation.

Also at 1100 CET are Eurozone macros, including CPI and the unemployment rate.

At 1430 CET will come US macros, including the price index for personal expenditures. At 1600 CET the Michigan confidence index is scheduled.

Among the companies listed in Piazza Affari, several results are expected including Laboratorio Farmaceutico Erfo, Monnalisa, PLC, and Rosetti Marino.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News reporter

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