Italy - Factors to watch on March 18

The following factors could affect Italian markets on Tuesday.

Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).

For a complete list of diary events in Italy please click on IT/DIA.

POLITICS

Italy and Spain made clear on Monday they were not ready to back a European Union proposal to pledge up to 40 billion euros ($43.67 billion) in military aid for Ukraine this year, with each country contributing according to the size of its economy.

ECONOMY

ISTAT releases January foreign trade data (0900 GMT).

COMPANIES

(*) ENI.MI ENI.MI

French investment firm Vauban Infrastructure Partners, Vesper Infrastructure Partners, global fund Kingston Capital and Norwegian private equity firm HitecVision have recently submitted non-binding offers to acquire a 49% stake in the Italian energy company's biomethane division, Enibioch4in, Il Sole 24 Ore daily reported on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Eni declined to comment saying that the process is ongoing, the newspaper added.

(*) IVECO IVG.MI

Franco-German joint venture KNDS, Czech company CGS and UK defence giant BAE Systems BAES.L are interested in buying Iveco Defence Vehicles, the defence unit of the Italian truck and bus manufacturer, Il Corriere della Sera newspaper reported on Tuesday citing unnamed sources.

(*) ILLIMITY ILTY.MI, BANCA IFIS IF.MI

The Bank of Italy has prepared a report detailing some findings on the governance of the Italian digital bank, which is the target of a takeover bid by rival Banca Ifis IF.MI, daily Il Messaggero reported on Tuesday.

MFE-MEDIAFOREUROPE MFEB.MI

The supervisory board of ProSiebenSat.1 PSMGn.DE has put on hold a potential deal that could hand U.S. private equity firm General Atlantic a minority stake in the German broadcaster, sources told Reuters on Monday. MFE holds nearly 30% of ProSieBen.

LEONARDO LDOF.MI

The board of directors of the Italian aerospace group approved a new organizational structure, creating two deputy general manager roles to oversee commercial development and business program coordination and strategy, innovation and strategic alliances, respectively. Deputy General Manager Lorenzo Mariani is set to assume a new senior role within the group, the company said on Monday.

BREMBO BRBI.MI

Releases FY results, followed by conference call (1330 GMT).

ENI ENI.MI

Releases FY results (preliminary FY results released on Feb. 27).

RECORDATI RECI.MI

Releases FY results (preliminary FY results released on Feb. 13).

DIARY

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini attends Transport ministers EU informal meeting in Warsaw, Poland (1000 GMT).

Mediobanca MDBI.MI CEO Alberto Nagel is interviewed at Morgan Stanley "European Financial Services Conference" in London (1600 GMT).

Rome, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni addresses the Senate ahead of the European Council (1430 GMT); Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti attends.

Rome, Italian representatives from Meta Platforms META.O address Intelligence Parliamentary Committee COPASIR (1430 GMT).

Rome, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso attends news conference to present "Plan to streamline the management of the oldest extraordinary administration procedures and speed up the subsequent final liquidation of creditors" (0900 GMT).

Rome, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso chairs update meeting on strategies to support the fashion industry (1000 GMT).

((Milan newsroom, e-mail: reutersitaly@thomsonreuters.com))

For Italian market data and news, click on codes in
brackets:

20 biggest gainers (in percentage).............PG.MI

20 biggest losers (in percentage)..............PL.MI

FTSE IT allshare index .FTITLMS

FTSE Mib index........ .FTMIB

FTSE Allstars index... .FTSTAR

FTSE Mid Cap index.... .FTITMC

Block trades.......... .BLK.MI

Stories on Italy...... IT-LEN

For pan-European market data and news, click on codes in
brackets:

European Equities speed guide...................EUR/EQUITY

FTSEurofirst 300 index...............................FTEU3

DJ STOXX index.......................................STOXX

Top 10 STOXX sectors............................PGL.STOXXS

Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors.......................PGL.STOXXES

Top 10 Eurofirst 300 sectors....................PGL.FTEU3S

Top 25 European pct gainers........................PG.PEUR

Top 25 European pct losers.........................PL.PEUR

Main stock markets:

Dow Jones................DJI Wall Street report ......N

Nikkei 225..............N225 Tokyo report.............T

FTSE 100................FTSE London report............L

World Indices.....................................0#.INDEX

Reuters survey of world bourse outlook.........EQUITYPOLL1

Western European IPO diary..........................WEUIPO

European Asset Allocation........................EUR/ASSET

Reuters News at a Glance: Equities...............TOP/EQE

Main currency report:...............................FRX/