MILAN, Dec 27 (Reuters) - The following factors could affect
Italian markets on Thursday.
Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports -- some of
which date back to Saturday -- and cannot vouch for their
accuracy. New items are marked with (*).
ALITALIA <AZPIa.MI>, AIR FRANCE-KLM <AIRF.PA>
Alitalia's board favours Air France-KLM's offer for the
airline, but rival bidder Air One still hopes to clinch a deal
by lobbying the government, which has the last word on the sale.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL21361491]
Unions and politicians who prefer Air One's bid are calling
on the government to reject the board's decision because they
fear foreign control of the airline and the loss of Milan's
Malpensa airport's role as an important hub.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL23392371]
In an interview, Alitalia Chairman Maurizio Prato defends
the board's decision; he says time is running out for the
airline and it cannot afford to wait any longer for another
solution to its problems (Il Sole 24 Ore on Thursday)
* Alitalia shares fell more than three percent on Thursday,
the first day of trade since the airline's board announced its
preference for Air France-KLM's bid.
For a story, double-click on [nMAT007644]
Italy's cabinet meets on Friday, may discuss Alitalia
(several)
Alitalia agrees to exchange three of its 13 pairs of slots
at London's Heathrow airport for an estimated 92 million euros
($132.4 million).
Its net debt rose 0.8 percent to 1.19 billion euros ($1.71
billion) in November, while cash-to-hand and short-term
financial credits totalled some 395 million euros.
For a story, double click on [ID:nB676922]
ENI <ENI.MI>
The consortium of oil majors led by Eni agrees with
Kazakhstan on a Jan. 15 deadline for talks concerning the
Kashagan oil project.
But the country's energy minister said Exxon <XOM.N> was not
in agreement and was stalling the talks.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL24522946]
Consortium members agreed on Friday to give Kazakhstan more
profits from the Kashagan project and a cash compensation.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL2172987]
FIAT <FIA.MI>
The Italian automaker has pulled out of a money-losing joint
venture with Nanjing Automobile after its Chinese partner
formalised a merger with bigger peer SAIC Motor <600104.S>.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL26288861]
RYANAIR <RYA.I>
Malpensa has rejected Ryanair's offer to operate out of the
international airport, describing as "unacceptable" a plan made
by the airline at time when the future role of Italy's northern
hub has come into doubt again.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL23353183]
ENEL <ENEI.MI>
Italy's power utility giant Enel has ended its expansion
drive by acquisitions and begun focusing on developing its
operations in Romania and other countries where it has entered,
its chief executive told Borsa & Finanza on Saturday.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL22155399]
INTESA SANPAOLO <ISP.MI>, PARMALAT <PLT.MI>
The bank has agreed to pay 327 million euros ($469.9
million) to settle a lawsuit brought by Parmalat over the
Italian dairy group's 2003 collapse.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL22256622]
Deloitte & Touche has come up with a new proposal to
compensate Parmalat bondholders; compensation would range from 6
percent of an investment of up to 10,000 euros to 0.40 percent
of an investment of more than 450,000 euros (Il Sole 24 Ore on
Thursday)
MEDIOBANCA <MDBI.MI>, BANCO POPOLARE <BAPO.MI>
Italian merchant bank Mediobanca said on Thursday it had
acquired the majority of Linea from two banks in a deal that
valued the consumer credit business at 405 million euros.
For a story, double click on [nL2750794]
LOTTOMATICA <LTO.MI>
A unit of Italy's Lottomatica will help a Taiwanese bank
provide services for its country's first sports lottery in a
deal that will generate about 33 million dollars in revenues
over the next five years.
For a story, double click on [ID:nL24588474]
POLYNT <PLY.MI>, LONZA GROUP <LONN.VX>
Switzerland's Lonza Group said on Thursday it would sell 90
percent of its stake in Polynt to Italy's Polimeri Speciali for
3.67 euros per share.
For a story, double click on [ID:nWEB1230]
ACEA <ACE.MI>
In an interview, Chief Executive Andrea Mangoni says the
utility had good reasons to consider merging with Hera <HRA.MI>
but it would not do it at any cost; he says the utility aims for
double-digit internal growth in the next five years (Il Sole 24
Ore on Thursday)
GENERALI <GASI.MI>
Chairman Antoine Bernheim was quoted by news agency
Adnkronos as saying at a ceremony that some members of the board
were conspiring with activist fund Algebris to get rid of him;
he vowed to prevent the insurer from falling into the "wrong
hands"; Bernheim also said he would look to expand the insurer's
activities abroad to defend itself better (Several on Saturday)
PININFARINA <PNNI.MI>
In an interview, Chief Executive Andrea Pininfarina says the
joint venture with French financier Vincent Bollore to build an
electric car is part of a new industrial strategy to be
presented early next year; he says the idea behind it was to
extract value from the brand (La Stampa on Saturday)
PIAGGIO <PIA.MI>
The scooter maker said on Friday it had set up a separate
division to oversee its business of three- and four-wheel
vehicles and hired Franco Fenoglio to head it. Fenoglio was
chief executive of New Holland Construction Equipment, a unit of
CNH <CNH.N>.
((Milan newsroom, +39 02 6612 9507, fax +39 02 801149,
[email protected]))
Keywords: ITALY MARKETS/FACTORS
Keywords: ITALY MARKETS/FACTORS
Keywords: ITALY MARKETS/FACTORS
Keywords: ITALY MARKETS/FACTORS
Keywords: ITALY MARKETS/FACTORS