Italian Stocks - Factors to watch on June 9
MILAN, June 9 (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 (*).
TELECOM ITALIA (TLIT.MI)
France's Iliad SA (ILD.PA), the parent firm of Internet
service povider Free, is in exclusive talks to buy Telecom
Italia SpA's French ISP unit Alice on the basis of an enterprise
value of 800 million euros ($1.25 billion).
For a story, double click on [nL09598322].
Private equity firm Apax Partners has held informal talks
with Telecom Italia about merging the Italian operator's German
fibre optic network Hausenet with one run by Versatel
(VTWGn.DE), Il Sole 24 Ore said on Saturday, citing unconfirmed
rumours.
Apax is Versatel's main shareholder.
ALITALIA AZPIa.MI
The European Commission will tell Italy that a loan to help Alitalia avoid bankruptcy was illegal and will demand the airline pay it back, a source told Reuters on Friday.
The move would be a setback to efforts by Silvio Berlusconi's government to avoid a financial collapse of the carrier as it searches for a new owner.
For a story, double click on [nL06921582].
* Six European carriers have written to the European Commission to say the loan violated rules on state aid and competition, Il Messaggero and La Stampa said on Monday.
Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI), the government's adviser on the
sale, might decide by Friday whether airline is worth saving, Il
Giornale said on Saturday.
* TISCALI (TIS.MI)
Tiscali's Chief Financial Officer Massimo Cristofori resigned on Monday in a second high-level departure just as the Italian broadband provider is about to be taken over.
For a story double click on [nL09618905]
FINMECCANICA (SIFI.MI)
Finmeccanica might sell its stake in semiconductor maker STMicroelectronics (STM.MI) (STM.PA) to help fund its purchase of DRS Technologies Inc. DRS.N, executives of the Italian defence and aerospace group said on Friday.
It is also planning a capital increase, a public offering of about 60 percent of its Ansaldo Energia unit and will take on debt to finance the acquisition, they said.
For a story, double click on [nL06676252].
Finmeccanica expects its purchase of DRS to boost revenues to 18 billion euros in 2009, according to Il Sole 24 Ore's "Letter to the Investor" column on Sunday.
FIAT (FIA.MI)
Fiat kept its market share in Europe in May despite weak sales, the Italian car maker's head said on Friday.
Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne also stuck to his targets for the second quarter.
For a story, double click on [nL06917196].
Union leaders say daily output at Fiat's Mirafiori plant in Turin has declined to a daily average of 821 cars this year from 889 in 2006 and they wonder whether Fiat will resort to the so-called cassa integrazione, according to several newspapers. Under this system, Fiat can lay off workers temporarily and pay them using state and company funds.
Fiat and Russia's Severstal formalised on Saturday a number of joint ventures announced last year to make and sell Fiat cars and engines in Russia, according to a statement. They will make up to 90,000 diesel engines and up to 50,000 Fiat Linea sedans a year. Production will begin this year.
INTESA SANPAOLO
The bank is considering selling Neos, a consumer credit arm,
after receiving at least four or five expressions of interest
from foreign banks, Il Sole 24 Ore said on Saturday. Its
decision might depend on the outcome of Findomestic, a consumer
finance business in which France's BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) owns a
stake.
UNICREDIT (CRDI.MI)
Chairman Dieter Rampl said in an interview with Corriere
della Sera on Saturday the bank might leave Mediobanca's
(MDBI.MI) shareholder pact but he did not know what might happen
by the time it expires in 2009. Rampl saw the possibility of
further consolidation among small or medium-sized banks in
Italy.
BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA (BMPS.MI), BANCO SANTANDER (SAN.MC)
The future partnership between the banks will focus on
corporate banking for Italian companies active outside the
country, Monte dei Paschi General Manager Antonio Vigni said in
an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore on Sunday. It could lead to
other services being offered, he said. The bank will announce in
the next few weeks a partner for its asset management business.
It is selling property worth nearly 2 billion euros, and it has
hired Rothschild and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS.N) to sell 125
branches to get regulatory approval for its purchase of
Antonveneta, he added.
* A2A (A2.MI)
The Lombardy utility's two-board system of governance is
working but could be changed if conditions warrant, Executive
Board Chairman Giuliano Zuccoli said. Plans to incorporate
Delmi, the holding company that has partial control of generator
Edison (EDN.MI), are "still in the drawer", he said.
ENEL (ENEI.MI)
The power company could consider selling assets not needed for the development of its business, Chief Executive Officer Fulvio Conti said when asked in an interview with la Repubblica about the sale of its gas distribution unit. He said Italy needed nuclear power and there was the possibility of building four or five plants of 1,800 megawatts.
BREMBO (BRBI.MI)
The board named Mauro Pessi on Friday to replace Stefano Monetini as chief executive of the car brake systems maker.
DUCATI DMH.MI
Ducati's three main shareholders will come to own more than 70 percent of the motorcycle maker after other shareholders accepted their offer to buy them out, a statement said on Friday.
For a story, double click on [nL0627141].
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