(Alliance News) - Piazza Affari is the only major European list in positive territory at mid-session while the others are down after the release of some crucial macroeconomic data.

Thus, the FTSE Mib rises 0.2 percent to 27,498.37, the Mid-Cap gives up 0.4 percent to 44,690.17, the Small-Cap rises 0.1 percent to 30,248.88, and Italy Growth is down 1.8 percent to 9,455.50.

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 is down 0.3 percent, Paris' CAC 40 is in fractional red at 7,293.03 and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is in fractional green at 15,385.76.

In macroeconomic news, Italy's industrial sales increased at a slower pace on a monthly basis and more markedly on an annual basis in December, Istat reported Tuesday.

Italian industry sales in December rose 0.7 percent on a monthly basis after rising 0.9 percent in November. On a year-over-year basis, however, December's 15 percent increase followed an 11 percent rise in the previous month.

In Germany, import prices in Germany rose 6.6 percent year-on-year in January 2023, the smallest increase since February 2021, following a rise of about 13 percent in December.

Consumer goods costs continued to increase the most, especially consumer non-durables and intermediate goods. Energy prices also rose 8.1 percent, mainly due to natural gas.

In France, according to preliminary data on Tuesday, the economy's growth slowed in the last quarter of 2022, but avoided contraction.

According to Insee -- France's national statistical agency -- gross domestic product in the fourth quarter grew 0.1 percent compared to the third quarter. It had grown 0.2 percent in the third quarter compared to the second quarter.

As for inflation, the annual rate in France rose slightly to 6.2% in February 2023 from 6% in January, compared with market forecasts of 6.1%

Back in Italy, on the highest capitalization list of Piazza Affari, banks are doing well with Banco BPM, UniCredit and Intesa leading the list with assets between 2.1 percent and 1.5 percent.

The board of directors of Saipem -- in the red by 0.8 percent -- announced Monday that it had reviewed preliminary figures for fiscal year 2022, reporting a net loss of EUR209 million from one for EUR2.46 billion in 2021.

Revenues as of Dec. 31, 2022 are EUR9.98 billion from EUR6.52 billion, while adjusted EBITDA is EUR595 million from a loss for EUR1.27 billion in 2021. Technical investments amount to EUR523 million from EUR246 million in 2021.

Post-IFRS 16 Net Financial Position is negative EUR264 million from a negative EUR1.54 billion as of December 31, 2021.

New order intake is EUR12.9 billion from EUR6.95 billion in 2021; order backlog is EUR24.01 billion from EUR21.236 billion as of December 31, 2021, which increases to EUR24.37 billion including the order backlog of unconsolidated companies from EUR23.18 billion as of December 31, 2021.

The company then revised targets for 2023 and 2026, expecting revenues to rise above EUR11 billion and above EUR12 billion, respectively.

Nexi did well, gaining 1.3 percent, after signing an agreement for a long-term partnership in the Spanish market with Banco Sabadell.

The agreement calls for Nexi to take over 80% of Banco Sabadell's merchant acquiring business, following the spin-off of the asset into PayComet, a subsidiary of the Spanish institution, for an upfront cash consideration of EUR280 million, reflecting an enterprise value of EUR350 million for the entire capital of the asset.

Nexi will finance the transaction entirely from available cash resources. An exclusive distribution agreement with an initial term of 10 years is also planned, with two potential renewals of an additional five years each.

Both Italgas, down 1.4 percent, and all other utilities continued in the red from the start, with Snam down 1.1 percent and Terna down 0.4 percent.

On the Mid-Cap, AXA announced on Tuesday that it had sold 100.0 million shares in Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena--which is giving up 8.8 percent--representing about 7.9 percent of the bank's share capital.

The shares were sold at a price of EUR2.33 per share, totaling EUR233 million, in an accelerated bookbuyulding operation reserved for institutional investors.

Following the expected completion of the offering, AXA retains close to 0 percent of MPS's share capital, or 8,907 shares in the bank.

Among small-cap companies, KME Group gains 14 percent after its board approved guidelines for an OPAS on 100.0 million of the company's treasury shares and warrants to 2024.

For the 100.0 million shares, representing 31 percent of the company's capital, EUR0.90 per share will be offered; for the warrants, on the other hand, the offer is for a voluntary exchange in the ratio of one ordinary share for every 2.3 warrants brought in.

Specifically, the company will pay each bidder a total consideration per unit consisting of EUR0.50 for each ordinary share of KME, for a total consideration of EUR50 million; and 0.0174 shares of Culti Milano--for each ordinary share of KME, for a total maximum amount of 1.7 million shares of Culti Milano--up 0.9 percent on Italy Growth--, with a unit value of EUR0.40.

Italian Exhibition Group is flat at EUR2.50 per share after announcing Tuesday that it will land in Singapore with its own wholly owned company, IEG Asia Pte Ltd, a few months after signing the memorandum of understanding.

It will also take over two events in the jewelry and food & beverage sectors, respectively, acquired from CEMS - Conference & Exhibition Management Services: these are Sije - Singapore International Jewelry Expo and Café and Restaurant Asia.

Cellularline is up 1.3 percent after it announced that it has signed a business agreement with MediaMarktSaturn Germany, the leading retail distributor of consumer electronics products in Germany, strategically focused on the shopping experience, with related services and selection of accessories.

The agreement expands the distribution of Cellularline's range of products dedicated to charging and protecting smartphones in MediaMarktSaturn Germany's approximately 400 German stores.

On the alternative capital market list of Piazza Affari, Energy rises 3.6 percent after announcing that it has signed a major strategic agreement to establish a corporate joint venture with Pylon Technologies Europe Holding, a Dutch-registered wholly owned subsidiary of Pylon Technologies.

Pylon Technologies is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and has a capitalization of about CNY46 billion, or about USD6.6 billion, and is among the World's leading manufacturers of stationary cyclic lithium batteries for energy storage from renewable sources.

In New York on Monday, the Dow Jones closed up 0.2 percent at 32,889.09, the S&P rose 0.3 percent to 3,982.24 while the Nasdaq rose 0.6 percent to 11,466.98.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0610 against USD1.0593 at Monday's close. In contrast, the pound is worth USD1.2086 from USD1.2024 on Monday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD82.97 per barrel versus USD82.65 per barrel on Monday evening. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,815.45 an ounce from USD1,815.51 an ounce at Monday's close.

On Tuesday's macroeconomic calendar, from the States, at 1430 CET, eyes on the goods-only trade balance while, at 2230 CET, it will be the turn of weekly oil stocks.

By Claudia Cavaliere, Alliance News reporter

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