MILAN, Oct 26 (Reuters) - The following factors could affect
Italian markets on Monday.
Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot
vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).
* FIAT (FIA.MI)
Morgan Stanley says in a morning note that Chrysler's gross
debt owed to the U.S. Treasury could be just $5.1 billion
instead of the $9 billion originally estimated. Morgan Stanley
says this "lowers the hurdle needed for Fiat to reach 49.9
percent and 51 percent of Chrysler."
* SAIPEM (SPMI.MI)
Citigroup raises its price target to 22 euros from 19 euros
with a "hold" rating.
* BANCO POPOLARE (BAPO.MI)
The bank's chief executive, Pierfrancesco Saviotti, says any
capital operations would be made after 2012 to repay the
state-backed bonds it issues, in comments reported by Corriere
della Sera's business section. He says "selling regional banks
is the last resort and I hope it won't be necessary." Banco
Popolare is in talks to sell its Efibanca merchant bank to
Barclays (BARC.L).
Activist shareholder Algebris, headed by Davide Serra, has
taken a stake of "between 0.5 and 1 percent" of Banco Popolare,
he tells Corriere della Sera's business section on Monday. He
says he now has only about 0.05 percent of Generali (GASI.MI).
BANCA POPOLARE DI MILANO (PMII.MI), FONDIARIA-SAI (FOSA.MI)
The Italian bank could dissolve its partnership in banking
and insurance with Fondiaria-SAI shortly, Il Sole 24 Ore said on
Sunday, buying back half of BPM Vita for about 110 million
euros. It could then sign a deal with France's Credit Mutuel,
which is considering whether to use a convertible bond to raise
its stake in the Italian bank to 12 percent, Il Sole added. The
deadline for the convertible is at the end of December.
* LOTTOMATICA (LTO.MI)
A joint venture between its subsidiary Gtech and Spain's
Logista S.A. has won a contract to provide end-to-end lottery
technology, marketing services, logistics and retail services
for a retailer network for Spain's Organizacion Nacional de
Ciegos de Espana, Lottomatica said. [ID:nBIA26535]
The contract runs until December 2020 and is
expected to generate average annual revenues of 50 million euros
over the contract term for Gtech.
MONDADORI (MOED.MI)
Advertising space sales rose 1 percent in August, the head
of the publisher's advertising arm, Angelo Sajeva, told Il Sole
24 Ore in remarks published on Sunday.
SMALL AND MID-CAPS
GEMINA (GEMI.MI)
The treasury ministry might not approve airport tariff
increases which are part of investment plans for Aeroporti di
Roma, which Gemina controls, and Milan's airport operator SEA,
La Repubblica newspaper said on Sunday, quoting "reliable
reports." The tariff increases have already been given the
go-ahead by the transport ministry.
MAIRE TECNIMONT (MTCM.MI)
The engineering and construction firm is likely to have core
earnings (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and
amorisation) of 170 million euros in 2009, down from 185 million
euros previously, Il Sole 24 Ore said on Sunday in its regular
"Letter to the Investor" feature. Its order book should be about
4.5 billion euros, the newspaper added.
COMPANY RESULTS
The following companies will hold board meetings on
third-quarter results:
CIR (CIRX.MI), Cofide (COFI.MI) and Management & Capitali
(MACA.MI).
