FTSE MIB Edges Higher

The FTSE MIB edged above 45,700 in early trading on Tuesday, hovering near a four-week high, as markets reopened after the long Easter weekend. Investor focus remained on the war in Iran, with uncertainty still elevated amid mixed signals over a potential resolution. US President Donald Trump said the military could strike key Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, if no deal is reached by his Tuesday deadline. At the same time, he described ongoing negotiations as “going well” and stressed that reopening the strait is a top priority. Against this backdrop, oil prices extended their gains. Leading the advances were STMicroelectronics (+3.2%), Eni (+1%), and Telecom Italia (+1.3%). On the downside, Leonardo fell over 4%, while Stellantis declined 2%. On the data front, fresh PMI survey data showed that Italy’s services sector and private sector fell into contraction in March.

The FTSE MIB Index fell -90 points or 0.20 percent on Thursday to close at 45625 points..

The FTSE MIB fell 0.2% to close at 45,625 on Thursday, turning muted after sharp morning losses as Iran and Oman reportedly drafted a protocol to monitor transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Global markets traded sharply lower after US President Trump signaled the Iran war would continue for weeks, but partially recovered on the transit protocol report. Meanwhile, oil prices continued to surge, fueling stagflation fears. Bond yields edged up and the BTP-Bund spread widened, pressuring the financial sector. UniCredit lost 2.5%, MPS fell 2.8%, and Mediobanca dropped 2.5%. STMicroelectronics led losses at 2.8% amid US semiconductor market weakness. In contrast, Eni advanced 4.3% on surging oil prices. Other gainers included Stellantis, up 4.1% after reporting a 10.3% annual rise in sales in March. Also, Generali was up 1%, and Enel gained 0.6%. Markets in Italy will be closed Friday and Monday for the Easter holiday.