Contrasted closing for European stock exchanges, at the end of a cautious session, held back by the uncertainty of the coronavirus and the many contradictory news around this epidemic. Also Wall Street proceeds slowly and in random order, after the weakness of the eve.
Piazza Affari sees the goal, not yet reached, of 25 thousand points (in the session it reached a maximum of 24.983) and closes down by 0,1% at 24.867 basis points. In a context of weakness, however, the Unipol group shines (Unipol +6,42%; Unipolsai +5,31%), which beat market expectations on earnings and dividends: parent company Unipol shows net profit up 73% to €1,1bn and will pay €0,28 per share, a 56% higher dividend than the previous year. The UnipolSai company has a normalized net profit of €721m (+3,2%) and proposes a dividend of €0,16 per share (+10%). Among the insurance companies, Generali also appreciates +0,65%.
Stay on Nexi shields, +4,56%, supported by many investment banks after accounts in line with forecasts and in view of future mergers. Among the most bought blue chips today there are also Diasorin +1,75%, Prysmian +1,06%, Enel +0,85%; Ferrari +0,69%.
The black jersey goes to Recordati -1,59%. Male Moncler -1,42%; Telecom -1,39%, after yesterday's leap; Leonardo -1,38%; Fiat -1,37%. Weak banks starting with Bper -1,43%, of which Unipol is a shareholder with a 20% stake. Banco Bpm -1,18% and Unicredit -1,01% also down. The spread is slightly recovering to 135 basis points, +1,2%, even if the yield on the 10-year BTP is little moved at 0,91%. Off the main Interpump price list, +6,53%, after the accounts and in the wake of the prospects. Another Emilian company is also appreciated: Ima, +1,24%, which disclosed the preliminary estimates for the 2019 final balance and showed revenues growing to 1,6 billion euros.
In the rest of Europe: Frankfurt -0,02%; Paris -0,39%; Madrid +0,41%; London -0,58%. The euro-dollar is flat at 1.084, close to a two-year low and at the end of a week in which it lost about 1%. The single currency pays the price for a stagnant economy in the area. In particular, there is zero growth in Germany in the fourth quarter of 2019 and this casts new shadows on the prospects of the first economy of the bloc.
Among the raw materials gold is in fractional progress at $1584,75 an ounce. Oil, Brent, appreciates by 1,46%, 57,16 dollars a barrel.
