(Alliance News) – Major European stock exchanges closed in negative territory on Tuesday as attention remained fixed on Middle Eastern tensions, with the standoff between Iran and the US persisting, while US markets opened lower following inflation data.
On the macroeconomic front, according to ZEW survey data, investor sentiment and the economic situation index in the Eurozone performed better than expected in May.
The ZEW indicator of economic sentiment for the Eurozone improved by 11.3 points to minus 9.1 points in May, compared to minus 20.4 points in April. The result was significantly better than the forecast of a slight improvement to minus 20 points in May, as cited by FXStreet.
Consequently, the MIB closed trading down 1.4% at 48,990.98, the Mid-Cap fell 0.8% to 59,270.83, the Small-Cap dropped 1.0% to 34,362.63, and Italy Growth ended in fractional red at 8,913.01 points.
Other indices also finished in the red: the CAC 40 lost 1.0%, the DAX 40 fell 1.5%, and the FTSE 100 slipped 0.2%.
In Piazza Affari, the shareholders’ meeting of Terna – down 0.8% – appointed the new board of directors for the 2026-2028 three-year period on Tuesday, confirming Stefano Cuzzilla as chairman of the board.
Italgas – with daily losses of 1.1% – renewed its memorandum of understanding with Tokyo Gas Network aimed at strengthening collaboration in strategic areas of gas distribution and promoting the development of joint projects.
UniCredit, which closed down 0.9%, launched a cash tender offer for its subordinated bonds denominated ‘Euro 1,250,000,000 Fixed Rate Resettable Tier 2 Subordinated Callable Notes due 15 January 2032’, with the ISIN code XS2101558307.
Simultaneously, UniCredit announced its intention to issue new Euro-denominated fixed-rate Tier 2 callable subordinated bonds, an operation that will only be carried out subject to favorable market conditions.
Telecom Italia – which shed 0.5% – announced that Moody’s has upgraded the group’s rating to Ba1 from Ba2, with a stable outlook. The rating agency’s decision, according to the released note, is part of the path taken by TIM in recent years.
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, with gains of 1.5% at EUR9.467, reported a first-quarter profit of EUR520.8 million, up from EUR413.1 million in the same period of 2025.
Revenue amounted to EUR1.96 billion compared to EUR1.01 billion in the first quarter of 2025. Excluding the contribution from Mediobanca, amounting to EUR925 million, revenue stood at EUR1.03 billion, up 2.7% year-on-year thanks to positive dynamics in net interest income, net commissions, and other financial management income, the company specified in a note.
Tenaris, up 2.1%, signed a memorandum of understanding with Denmark’s Green Therma to accelerate the development of next-generation geothermal solutions in Europe.
Eni announced that it has placed two new fixed-rate US dollar bond issues on the American market for a total value of USD3 billion. The stock closed up 0.9%.
DiaSorin showed the strongest gains, rising 2.4% to EUR68.28 per share, while Prysmian and STM hit the bottom of the basket with losses of 5.2% and 5.3%, respectively.
On the Mid-Cap, De’ Longhi – up 6.7% – achieved a first-quarter profit of EUR71.9 million, up from EUR62.8 million in the same period of 2025. Revenue amounted to EUR777.7 million, up 3.0% from EUR755.2 million in the first quarter of 2025.
The board of SOL – down 1.0% – approved the consolidated sales figures for the first quarter ended March 31, a period in which consolidated turnover stood at EUR465.2 million, an increase of 7.2% compared to the EUR433.9 million recorded last year.
Safilo Group – down 1.9% – signed a Share and Asset Purchase Agreement with Bollé Brands for the acquisition of the SPY+ and Serengeti brands. The transaction follows the exclusivity agreement announced on April 21 and is part of the group’s strategy to acquire selective brands in segments considered attractive and high-growth.
On the Small-Cap, doValue – up 0.2% – was awarded new mandates in Italy for a total value of EUR430 million. As part of the transaction, doValue supported a leading international institutional investor in the acquisition of a loan portfolio from a major Italian bank, contributing to the structuring of three securitization operations.
Banca Sistema, which shed 1.1%, approved the consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2026, closing with a net profit of EUR3.8 million, down 67% compared to EUR11.6 million in the same period of 2025. The result does not include the pro-rata profit of the KK Group amounting to EUR1.8 million, adjusted to maintain the accounting equity at the estimated disposal value.
For comparative purposes, the first-quarter 2025 profit, excluding the contribution of the KK Group, would have been EUR10.3 million.
Enervit announced on Tuesday that it achieved first-quarter revenue of EUR22.2 million, up 2.4% from EUR21.7 million in the same period of 2025. The stock rose 0.2%.
OPS eCom, with daily losses of 3.1%, received a favorable opinion from the expert appointed as part of the negotiated crisis settlement procedure, resulting in a request for an extension of a further 180 days filed with the competent Chamber of Commerce.
Triboo – up 3.5% – announced that Direct Performance, a group agency specializing in lead generation, advertising, and SEO, acquired the proprietary database business unit from ISPD Italia, strengthening its digital ecosystem through the integration of new editorial assets and digital communities.
Generalfinance, up 1.4%, announced that the Venice Court of Appeal, in the second-instance judgment relating to the clawback action brought by the Bankruptcy of Industries Sportswear Company, ordered the company to pay approximately EUR2.2 million plus expenses and interest quantifiable at approximately EUR1.2 million. The company stated that it is evaluating the actions to be taken to protect its interests, as reported in a note.
On Italy Growth, SolidWorld Group announced, through its SolidManufacturing business unit, the availability on the Italian market of the new microArch S150 series developed by Boston Micro Fabrication, a platform dedicated to micro-precision 3D printing. The stock closed up 1.2%.
Valtecne – flat at EUR8.40 – announced that it achieved consolidated first-quarter revenue of EUR10.3 million, up 9.6% from EUR9.4 million in the same period of 2025.
Mare Engineering Group – up 2.1% – resolved to launch a share buyback program for a period of 18 months from the date of approval by the shareholders’ meeting, for a maximum amount of 3.9 million shares.
Espe, up 2.7%, was awarded two new contracts for the construction of photovoltaic and agrivoltaic plants for a total capacity of approximately 15.8 MWp and a total value of approximately EUR9.3 million.
Fope, which saw no trades, approved the group’s strategic guidelines and targets to 2029, the year of the 100th anniversary of its founding. By 2029, the company expects revenue between EUR145 and EUR150 million and an Ebitda between EUR33 and EUR35 million.
In New York, the Dow Jones is down 0.5%, the Nasdaq 1.7%, while the S&P 500 is down 1.0%.
On the currency front, the euro changed hands at USD1.1745 from USD1.1782 on Monday evening, while the pound traded at USD1.3520 from USD1.3651 on Monday evening.
Among commodities, Brent traded at USD108.31 per barrel from USD103.68 per barrel on Monday evening, while gold was worth USD4,652.45 per ounce from USD4,732.48 per ounce on Friday evening.
On Wednesday’s economic calendar, French unemployment data is expected at 0730 CEST, followed by inflation data at 0845 CEST. At 1110 CEST, there are two auctions of Italian BTPs with seven and 30-year maturities.
The OPEC monthly report is due at 1200 CEST, while from 1300 CEST the focus shifts to US mortgages, and at 1430 CEST the US producer price index data is expected.
In Piazza Affari, quarterly results are expected from 25 companies, including Buzzi, MFE, Snam, Hera, and Recordati.
By Michele Cirulli, Alliance News reporter
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