(Alliance News) - The day continues without too much of a jolt in Monday's mid-session after news that output in the Eurozone construction sector returned to increase on a monthly basis in September but fell on an annual basis.

Eurozone construction output, Eurostat reports, rose 0.4 percent on a monthly basis in September after falling 1.1 percent in August. On a yearly basis, however, September's 0.3 percent drop followed the previous month's flat figure.

Thus, the FTSE Mib is down 0.2% to 29,442.90, the Mid-Cap advances 0.2% to 41,798.29 as does the Small-Cap to 25,969.33, and Italy Growth rises 0.4% to 7,743.86.

London's FTSE 100 gives up 0.2 percent, Paris' CAC 40 rises with 0.3 percent and Frankfurt's DAX 40 is in the red with 0.1 percent.

On the main list of Piazza Affari almost entirely tinged with green, Amplifon sprints up now with 2.4 percent followed by CNH Industrial with 2.0 percent and Moncler, up 1.7 percent.

Saipem, in the green by 1.0%, announced Monday that it has launched a repurchase offer aimed at holders of the EUR500.0 million bond, which has a coupon of 2.625% and matures on January 7, 2025. The offer is aimed at optimizing the financial structure and reducing debt.

Banco BPM -- up 0.8 percent -- announced Friday evening that it had completed a new issue of a EUR300 million Additional Tier 1 capital instrument with perpetual maturity and callable "callable" from the fifth year.

At the same time, the bank announced an offer to repurchase a perpetual bond with a total outstanding nominal amount of EUR300 million.

Also on the highs are Poste Italiane and Azimut, up 1.0 percent, while Terna advances 0.9 percent.

Assicurazioni Generali -- at the bottom among the few stocks in the red, down 1.5 percent -- reported Friday that it ended the first nine months with a net profit of EUR2.82 billion, nearly double the EUR1.46 billion in the same period a year earlier. JPMorgan cut its target price to EUR22.00 from EUR22.50 with a 'neutral' rating.

In contrast, adjusted net income rose to EUR2.98 billion from EUR2.30 billion while adjusted earnings per share increased to EUR1.93 from EUR1.46.

Also in the bearish area are Iveco Group - down 0.5 percent - Banca Generali and Pirelli, down 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent.

On the Mid-Cap, Seco does best of all and advances 3.3% followed by Antares Vision, in the green by 3.1%.

Anima Holding gives up 0.2 percent after announcing that it has signed a binding agreement to acquire 100 percent of Kairos Partners SGR from parent Kairos Investment Management.

The maximum consideration agreed for the sale "is equal to the capital surplus - currently estimated between EUR20 and EUR25 million - with respect to the company's minimum supervisory requirements, subject to possible adjustment depending on the performance of assets under management after the signing of the agreement," Anima specifies in a statement.

At the bottom, however, are Gruppo MutuiOnline, down 2.7 percent, and LU-VE, which gives up 2.6 percent.

On the Small-Cap, Eems, which had opened 4.2 percent in the red, reverses course and rises 4.2 percent, taking the top spot. Also doing well is Neodecortech, which advances 2.9%.

Olidata settles on a 2.7 percent rise after opening up 8.7 percent. On Saturday it announced that, through its subsidiary Sferanet Srl, it was awarded the framework agreement - lot 2 - with Terna worth EUR9 million concerning the "Supply of Rack Servers and ICT Services.

Sferanet will support Terna with technologies and services aimed at consolidating and updating ICT infrastructures, confirming one of the key points of the company's vision: investing in digital through projects dedicated to the Energy world and its evolution.

CY4Gate - up 0.4 percent - announced Monday that it has signed a contract for a cyber security research and innovation activity with a major national high-tech company.

The supply has a value of EUR700,000 for the duration of six months and will involve a team of the company's highly qualified resources to undertake an initial phase of study and research on the protection of interconnected networks and sensors.

Among SMEs, Circle-which continues down 1.7 percent-reported on Friday evening that consolidated production value for the first nine months was EUR9.3 million, up 27 percent from the first nine months of 2022 when it was EUR7.4 million.

IMD International Medical Devices is flat at EUR1.30 per share after opening up 4.2 percent. On Friday, the board of directors approved the forecast figure as of December 31, predicting consolidated sales of EUR36 million to EUR38 million, down from EUR41.8 million as of December 31, 2022.

Health Italia gives up 6.3 percent. It reported Friday that revenues in the first nine months stood at EUR25.1 million, in line with EUR25.3 million in the same period last year.

Innovatec -- in the green by 3.1 percent -- reported Friday that it ended the first nine months of the year with revenues down to EUR149.9 million versus EUR222.3 million in the same period of 2022. The decrease, the company explained, reflects the reduction of the 110 percent ecobonus business as a result of regulatory and financial stop-and-goes that have occurred since the second half of 2022.

Tecma Solutions remains on top and, after opening in the green by 15 percent, now trades up 16 percent.

BetterThis, after opening in the green by 6.9 percent, now rises 1.5 percent. The company reported Friday that it closed the first nine months with improved accounts, as production value rose 33% year-on-year to EUR70.1 million from EUR52.8 million in the same period last year. On the profitability front, MeglioQuesto's Ebitda increased to EUR8.6 million from EUR7.7 million.

In New York on Friday evening, the Dow closed flat at 34,947.28, the Nasdaq gained 0.1 percent to 14,125.48, and the S&P 500 rose 0.1 percent to 4,514.02.

Among currencies, the euro changed hands at USD1.0926 against USD1.0881 recorded in Friday's European stock close while the pound was worth USD1.2471 from USD1.2422 on Friday evening.

Among commodities, Brent crude is worth USD81.43 per barrel from USD79.86 per barrel at Friday's close. Gold, on the other hand, trades at USD1,975.57 an ounce from USD1,981.25 an ounce Friday evening.

Monday afternoon's macroeconomic calendar includes German and French short-term bond auctions and U.S. Treasury short-sale bond auctions at 1730 CET.

By Chiara Bruschi, Alliance News reporter

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