The FTSE MIB Index Closes 0.75% Higher

The FTSE MIB Index gained 391 points or 0.75 percent on Friday to close at 52819 points. Gains were led by Amplifon (4.71%), Saipem (3.69%) and Lottomatica (3.67%). Biggest losers were Stellantis N.V. (-3.60%), Brunello Cucinelli (-0.70%) and Azimut Holding (-0.52%).

The FTSE MIB rose 0.8% to close at 52,819 on Friday, with gains broad-based across sectors. Amplifon led the advance, climbing 4.7%, followed by Lottomatica (4.0%). Saipem gained 3.6% after announcing a new contract through its joint venture. AI-related stocks also outperformed ahead of financial statements, lifting Prysmian (3.0%) and STMicroelectronics (1.5%). Data centers-linked demand extended gains for utilities, led by A2A (2.0%) and Enel (1.4%). Leonardo added 1.1% after its Edgewing joint venture secured a £4.6 billion contract, while Avio and Fincantieri each rose around 1%. Banks remained supported as expectations of further interest rate hikes eased, with Mediobanca and BPER Banca both up 1.1%, and Banca Mediolanum gaining 0.9%. Insurers also advanced, led by Unipol (1.5%) and Generali (0.8%). On the downside, Stellantis fell 3.6% while luxury stocks lagged, with Brunello Cucinelli down 1.1%. For the week, the index gained 3.85%, rebounding from the previous week's decline.

The FTSE MIB rose 0.5% to around 52,700 in early trading on Friday, heading for a weekly advance and tracking gains across Asian peers amid continued expansion in regional activity. This followed Thursday’s weak US jobs report, which led investors to scale back expectations of a near-term Federal Reserve rate hike. On the data front, Italy’s services activity returned to growth in June, while retail sales edged up 0.2% month-on-month in May, slightly above the expected 0.1% rise. Shares of Prysmian advanced 2.7% after JPMorgan raised its price target on the stock to €190 from €170 while maintaining an “overweight” rating. Other key gainers included Enel (0.9%), Tenaris (0.9%), Unipol Gruppo (1.1%), Saipem (1.8%), Nexi (1.6%), and Amplifon (1.8%). The index has risen more than 2% so far this week.