Italy - Factors to watch on April 14

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

Italy dispatched 40 failed asylum seekers to Albania on Friday to be held until repatriation to their home countries in vacant, Italian-run detention centres built for a stalled migration deterrent scheme.

ECONOMICS

Italy has no intention for now of using budget leeway allowed by the European Union to boost its defence spending, its economy minister said on Saturday, despite U.S. pressure to increase military expenditure.

DEBT

Credit ratings agency S&P Global upgraded Italy on Friday in a surprise move just days after Rome halved its economic growth forecast amid global market turmoil and said its huge public debt would rise this year and next.

S&P Global raised Italy's sovereign debt rating to BBB+ from BBB, citing its falling budget deficit, resilient exports and high domestic savings rate, and confidence that the European Central Bank will keep any inflationary pressures in check.

COMPANIES

MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA BMPS.MI

Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM) said it plans to back the new share issue proposed by Monte dei Paschi di Siena to fund its hostile bid for rival Mediobanca. MDBI.MI

Separately, the Caltagirone group has increased its holding in MPS to almost 9.9%, Corriere della Sera said at the weekend.

Banco BPM BAMI.MI CEO Giuseppe Castagna told Corriere della Sera on Sunday it will be the bank's board that decides how to vote with its 5% stake at the MPS AGM in relation to the share issue. Castagna added that Banco BPM wanted to develop its relationship with MPS, the second-largest distributor of Anima Holding ANIM.MI, now that Banco BPM has taken over the fund manager.

(*) MONTE DEI PASCHI, MEDIOBANCA MDBI.MI

Italy will not use its so-called "golden power" regarding the Tuscan bank's hostile bid on rival Mediobanca, Monte dei Paschi said in a press release on Monday.

(*) doValue DOVA.MI

The bad loan manager said on Monday its subsidiary in Greece had been awarded a new servicing mandate from funds managed by US investment firm Fortress worth some 500 million euros in gross book value (GBV).

STELLANTIS STLAM.MI

The Franco-Italian carmaker remains committed to its ailing luxury brand Maserati even as U.S. tariffs complicate the situation for the automotive industry in general, the brand's head said on Friday.

ENI ENI.MI

The Italian energy group said on Friday it completed the sale of an additional 5% stake in Enilive to U.S. fund KKR KKR.N, bringing the total proceeds from the disposal of two minority stakes in its biofuel unit to 3.6 billion euros

(*) JUVENTUS FC JUVE.MI

The Turin club netted first-half goals by Teun Koopmeiners and Kenan Yildiz for a 2-1 home win over relegation-threatened Lecce in Serie A on Saturday to leave new coach Igor Tudor unbeaten.

(*) SS LAZIO LAZI.MI

Lazio and Roma played out a 1-1 draw in the Rome derby on Sunday.

TELECOM ITALIA (TIM) TLIT.MI

Board meeting.

MAIRE MTCM.MI

Annual general meeting (0830 GMT); on April 15 on 2nd call.

DIARY

Milan, event "Sustainable nuclear power: Italy starts again!" (0800 GMT); expected attendees include Environment and Energy Security Deputy Minister Vannia Gava, Eni ENI.MI CEO Claudio Descalzi, Ansaldo Energia unit CEO Fabrizio Fabbri; Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini delivers closing address (0945 GMT).

Milan, news conference to present the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic torches (0830 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/