(Alliance News) - Piazza Affari marks a bullish path in the futures market after the long Easter weekend.

Among Friday's macro news, the U.S. Labor Department report showed nonfarm payrolls increased by 236,000 jobs in March, approaching expectations of 239,000. The unemployment rate also fell to 3.5 percent from the forecast of 3.6 percent.

In the CME Group platform's FedWatch Tool, using futures also based on the actual federal funds rate, or EFFR, the headline rate hike for the May 3 meeting has a 29% probability predicted for confirmation in the 475/500 bps range.

In contrast, the probability of an increase in the 500/525 bps area, an increase equivalent to 25 bps, is at 71%. The current target is between 475 and 500 bps.

Thus, the FTSE Mib, after closing 1.3 percent higher at 27,213.86 last Thursday.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 advances 51.20 points, Paris' CAC 40 is in the green by 68.00 points, and Frankfurt's DAX 40 advances 115.00 points.

Among the smaller lists on Thursday evening, the Mid-Cap closed in the green with 0.1 percent to 43,530.16, the Small-Cap finished up 0.4 percent to 29,819.93 while Italy Growth closed in the red 0.2 percent to 9,394.33.

On the main list of Piazza Affari, UniCredit on Thursday touched the top with a 2.8 percent rise--better only Enel, which took home 3.3 percent--after announcing Thursday that through a group company, UniCredit Bank AG, it has entered into an agreement to sell a portfolio, consisting of loans to German corporate and SME companies, to funds managed by LCM Partners.

The portfolio has gross creditworthiness of about EUR240 million.

FinecoBank closed up 2.6 percent after reporting Thursday that net inflows in March were positive EUR1.1 billion, bringing inflows since the beginning of the year to EUR2.7 billion. Assets under administration totaled EUR1.6 billion and assets under management EUR155 million.

Eurizon Capital SGR, an asset management division of Intesa Sanpaolo that closed in the green by 2.1 percent, announced Thursday that it has signed an agreement to take over 55 percent of Gruppo Zaffiro, an Italian company active in social and health care services.

The deal is expected to close during 2023, subject to obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities.

Leonardo also does well, which finished in profit by 2.7 percent. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with Siemens Digital Industries, a subsidiary of Siemens, for an integrated offering of advanced cybersecurity solutions for IT/OT technologies dedicated to digital, secure, connected and integrated industrial infrastructures.

Minority bearers included Moncler, trailing with a 1.5 percent drop, CNH Industriale, which lost 1.2 percent, and Iveco Group, down 1.0 percent.

Also hurt were Tenaris and Saipem, which gave up 0.3% and ,7%.

On the Mid-Cap, Fincantieri finished up 1.4 percent. The company announced Thursday that it purchased 3.1 million of its own shares, or about 0.2 percent of its share capital, between March 29 and April 3, 2023.

The shares were purchased at a volume-weighted average price of EUR0.5887 each, net of commissions, for a total value of EUR1.8 million.

The Anima Group's net inflows of assets under management -- in the green by 0.3 percent -- in March 2023 were negative EUR493 million; at the end of March, the group's total assets under management stood at more than EUR182 billion.

"The March result is entirely attributable to the institutional component, which, in line with what has been recorded at the European level, is in a negative phase for inflows, also due to decisions to increase the amount of liquidity held," commented Alessandro Melzi d'Eril, managing director of Anima Holding.

Industrie De Nora ended in the red by 2.%. On the stock, Citadel Advisors cut short position to 0.43 percent from 0.75 percent.

Webuild did worse, down 2.6 percent.

Aeroporto Guglielmo Marconi Di Bologna closed at a par at EUR8.06 per share. On Wednesday it reported that it had 675,925 passengers in March 2023, up 21 percent from March 2021 but down 7.5 percent from the same month in 2019, pre-pandemic.

On the Small-Cap, Eems took the top spot by climbing over 19%. The stock has gained 18% over the past thirty days, but has lost 55% over the past six months and 69% over the past year.

PLC advanced 2.2 percent after announcing Wednesday that it had finalized the closing of the extraordinary transaction to sell 100 percent of the share capital of the Irish-registered company Monsson Operation Ltd and all companies directly and indirectly controlled by it, which constitute the Monsson perimeter, to the Luxembourg-registered company Monsson Sarl.

Netweek's board of directors -- at a parity of EUR0.040 per share -- on Wednesday approved the draft separate and consolidated financial statements as of Dec. 31, 2022, reporting a loss of EUR1.9 million, worsening from a loss of EUR1.7 million in 2021.

Revenues, on the other hand, increased to EUR24.2 million from EUR23.3 million in the previous year.

Among SMEs, Franchetti led the list with a 13 percent rise, followed by Bellini Nautica, which closed up 10 percent.

Estrima, which finished in the green by 6.0%, announced Thursday the opening of a new market, Belgium, thanks to a partnership with Amolytics BV, led by Matthew Khouri, an entrepreneur who has been active for many years in the distribution of heavy-machinery for the construction and mining sectors in West Africa, with whom the company Birò Brussels has been formed.

The agreement provides for the opening of a new Birò Store, managed by the newly established Belgian-registered company Birò Brussels, dedicated to the sale, distribution and rental of Birò in the Belgian capital.

Medica - flat at EUR22.80 - announced Wednesday that it has signed an investment contract with SIMEST - the company of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Spa group for the internationalization of Italian companies - aimed at entering the share capital of Medica USA Inc, currently wholly owned by Medica.

The EUR1.9 million investment by SIMEST in Medica's international expansion project consists of the acquisition of a 30 percent stake in Medica USA - for an amount of about EUR800,000 - and the signing of an interest-bearing shareholders' loan agreement for the remaining EUR1.1 million or so.

In New York on European night, the Dow closed up 0.3 percent, the Nasdaq fell fractionally, and the S&P 500 picked up 0.1 percent.

Among Asian exchanges, the Hang Seng marked a green by 0.2 percent, the Shanghai Composite dropped 0.4 percent, while the Nikkei picked up 1.1 percent.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0894 versus USD1.0924 at Thursday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2414 from USD1.2450 on Thursday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD84.83 per barrel versus USD85.04 per barrel on Thursday evening. Gold, meanwhile, trades at USD2,000.14 an ounce from USD2,010.84 an ounce at yesterday's close.

On Tuesday's economic calendar, at 1030 CET, the European Sentix index of investor confidence will be released followed by Eurozone retail sales.

At 1200 CET, the UK mortgage rate will be released along with the US small business optimism report.

On Tuesday, Neurosoft's results are scheduled to be released on the stock market.

By Maurizio Carta, Alliance News reporter

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