Piazza Affari returns to positive territory in the last part of the session. The FtseMib index gains 0,1%, to 16.909, thus consolidating yesterday's +3,8%. In negative territory, with the exception of the City, the other European squares. In Frankfurt, the Dax dropped by 0,27%, Paris -0,32%, Madrid -0,9%, London +0,27%, returning above parity. The Zurich Stock Exchange advances +2,9%.
The ten-year Btp/Bund spread continues to grind ground and slightly touches yesterday's record, falling to 276, the yield of the 10-year Btp (4,26%) corresponds to the new minimum since November 2010. Conversely, the ten-year German Bund Future (143,91) slips just below the psychological threshold of 144 points.
Brent loses half a point to 111,8 dollars a barrel and gold drops 0,5% to 1.677 dollars an ounce.
The sun shines in Athens too. Titan Cement announced that it has placed EUR 200 million of four-year bonds at a rate of 8,75%, becoming the first Greek company to successfully address the debt market since the crisis erupted in 2010. According to Eurobank, which managed the deal together with Alpha Bank and Credit Suisse, demand has been very robust with particular interest from private banks.
In the USA, after two days of strong increases (the S&P 500 gained more than 4%) thanks to the political agreement between Democrats and Republicans to avoid the fiscal cliff, Wall Street is taking a break: the indices are substantially balanced: Dow Jones + 0,01%, S&P +0,03%. The Nasdaq scores +0,12%.
Employment in the private sector increased in December to 215 units from the previous 118 in November and above expectations by 140. Slightly worse than expected, however, the requests for unemployment benefits at 372 thousand units above the 360 thousand estimated.
In the list, the performance of the car stands out after the data on December sales: Ford +2,3%, General Motors +2,1%. Even Fiat +1,44% turned up in Milan after the positive data on Chrysler's sales in the USA.
Gap +0,9%, on the other hand almost completely cancels the initial +5% due to the news reported by the Wall Street Journal according to which it will enter the luxury clothing segment through the purchase of the chain of women's boutiques (30 outlets in the USA and Canada) Intermix for $130 million.
Returning to Piazza Affai, among the blue chips Impregilo shines +3,27%, on new highs since June, the construction company was awarded a 560 million dollar contract in Panama together with Salini.
Sharp rise also for Finmeccanica +2,93%, which reaches its highest level since November 2011. In the banking sector, Unicredit +0,52% and Intesa -0,22% are holding on, the big names in the banking sector are holding up well and benefiting from the positive climate on spreads.
The minor financial stocks are in turmoil, Banca Pop. Etruria +4,3%, Conafi Prestitò +2,2%. The sharp decline of the Spanish Iberdrola -4% weighs on Enel -0,74% and A2A -1,12%. Prysmian down -0,7% after the federal court in Adelaide found the allegations by the Australian antitrust grounded, ruling that the case against Prysmian and other competitors should continue Indesit -2,9%, is today's worst stock, but yesterday it had closed with a leap of 11%. Seat is also bad, -2,2%.
StM +1,5%, Lottomatica +1,3% after the positive data on gaming collections. Goldman Sachs' ax weighs on Terna, -0,8%, and Snam, -0,7%. In a note this morning, the investment bank warned its customers about the risks of an investment in the two securities, confirming the sell opinion.
On the contrary, there is ferment in the green economy: Ternienergia leaps forward by 3,7% after the news that Warren Buffett will invest up to 2,5 billion dollars in the US photovoltaic sector (KR Energy +11%).
