Italy - Factors to watch on April 7

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 (*).

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

POLITICS

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Rome on Saturday to protest against the European Union's plans to boost defence spending, saying billions of euros for the re-armament drive would be better spent on public services. The march was organised by the left-leaning 5-Star Movement and also drew support from the main opposition Democratic Party.

(*) European Union finance ministers will discuss this week the setting up of a joint intergovernmental defence fundthat would buy and own defence equipment, and charge members a fee for its use, a paper prepared for the ministers' discussions showed.

ECONOMY

Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti warned on Saturday against the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on the United States in response to President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping import duties on trade partners.

Speaking at a business forum near Milan, Giorgetti also said that to offset the negative economic impact the tariffs were likely to have, the European Union should allow member states to raise spending without breaching the bloc's fiscal rules.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pledged on Sunday to shield businesses that suffered damage from the tariffs.

(*) U.S. trading partners have few good options in their trade war with Trump, other than to sue for peace. Hit by 10%-50% tariffs on their exports to the world's dominant economic superpower, most lack the firepower to hit back or the political will to slug it out, say government officials, economists and trade experts.

The outlook for Prosecco, Brunello di Montalcino and other Italian wines in the United States is increasingly gloomy, producers and importers said, following the imposition of a 20% tariff on European imports.

The Bank of Italy said on Friday the Italian economy will grow by 0.5% this year, far below the government's official 1.2% estimate, cutting a 0.7% forecast it made in December and warning of the impact of U.S. trade tariffs.

The central bank releases March data on Target 2 liabilities and European Central Bank funding to Italian banks.

OECD releases March composite leading indicator data (1000 GMT).

DEBT

Credit ratings agency Fitch reviewed Italy on Friday and confirmed its sovereign debt rating at BBB with a positive outlook.

Treasury announces sale of 12-month BOT bills, with relative amounts to be auctioned on April 10.

COMPANIES

M&A/ PRADA 1913.F

Italian luxury group Prada is set to make a decision this week about a potential takeover of smaller rival Versace, a source close to the matter said on Sunday, as the negotiations enter a final phase.

(*) The group's Hong-Kong listed shares on Monday dropped nearly 14% to HK$44.3, the lowest level since January 23, 2024, and are set for the biggest one-day percentage decline since August 2021.

(*) "We will continue to focus on our brands, and together we will be open to the best opportunities for the group," Lorenzo Bertelli, the son of the group's leading shareholders Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, who is chief marketing officer, told Corriere della Sera's L'Economia supplemente in an interview publishe don Monday.

UNICREDIT CRDI.MI, GENERALI GASI.MI

The Italian bank holds a voting stake of 5.27% in insurer Generali, a regulatory filing showed on Friday, as a key shareholder vote at Generali to name a new board approaches.

Leading governance adviser Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended Generali investors vote to hand CEO Philippe Donnet another term at a general meeting on April 24.

(*) BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI BMPS.MI

Barclays cut its rating on Monday to 'equal-weight' from 'overweight'.

BANCO BPM BAMI.MI, ANIMA ANIM.MI

Italian bank Banco BPM on Friday secured more than the two-thirds majority threshold needed for its buyout offer for fund manager Anima Holding to reap the maximum benefits from the deal, it said in a statement on Friday.

NEXI NEXII.MI

Moody's affirmed on Friday its 'Ba1' long term corporate family rating (CFR) and its 'Ba1-PD' probability of default rating (PDR) of the Italian payment group, while improving the outlook to 'positive' from 'stable'.

(*) ENEL ENEI.MI

Citigroup cut its rating on Monday to 'neutral' from 'buy'.

MFE-MEDIAFOREUROPE MFEB.MI

German TV group ProSiebenSat.1 PSMGn.DE has lined up defence advisers, including Morgan Stanley MS.N, after receiving a takeover bid from MediaForEurope, the TV group controlled by Italy's Berlusconi family, two people with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

(*) FINCANTIERI FCT.MI

The company said on Monday it signed a deal with Carnival Corp, worth over 2 billion euros ($2.20 billion), for two new cruise ships for AIDA Cruises. The ships are expected to be delivered in early 2030 and late 2031.

FERRARI RACE.MI

Ferrari's anticipated title challenge again failed to materialise at the Japanese Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc finishing in fourth place, Lewis Hamilton in seventh, and both drivers complaining about the performance of the car.

(*) JUVENTUS JUVE.MI

AS Roma and Juventus played out a 1-1 draw in Serie A on Sunday.

DIARY

Rome, ECB board member Piero Cipollone attends "Central bank money in a digital World: CBDCs" (0945 GMT) session at Bank of Italy conference "The interplay between tax and financial regulations in a new digital environment".

Rome, Foreign Press Association holds news conference with EU Commission Executive Vice President Roxana Minzatu and Italian Labour Minister Marina Calderone (0915 GMT).

Verona, Italian luxury goods companies association Altagamma and Bain & Company present study "Fine wines and restaurants market monitor" (0930 GMT); Altagamma President famous wine Ferrari Trento President Matteo Lunelli delivers welcome address.

((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/

($1 = 0.9090 euros)