Italy - Factors to watch on Sept. 19

The following factors could affect Italian markets on Friday.

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

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed Thursday as a "historic day" as workers broke through a final, thin veil of rock under the Brenner Pass, opening an underground tunnel between Austria and Italy that will eventually become a high-speed rail line linking the north and south of Europe.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday Italy would support EU sanctions against violent Israeli settlers and Israeli ministers who have made "unacceptable" comments on Gaza and the West Bank, and was open to considering trade sanctions.

The Italian Adriatic port of Ravenna on Thursday refused entry to two trucks said to be carrying arms to Israel, as protests mount among Italian dockworkers and other labour groups against the offensive in Gaza.

ECONOMY

Fitch rating agency scheduled review of sovereign debt rating on Italy.

DEBT

Treasury announces sale of BTP Short and BTPei bonds, with relative amounts to be auctioned on Sept. 24.

COMPANIES

BANCO BPM BAMI.MI, BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA BMPS.MI

Banco BPM Chief Executive Giuseppe Castagna said on Thursday that a merger with the Italian arm of France's Credit Agricole CAGR.PA was the "clearest opportunity" for his bank, but there were others, such as a deal with Monte dei Paschi.

(*) Credit Agricole Italia could increase its stake in BPM to 30-35% and also take a stake in BPM's asset manager Anima ANIM.MI, Il Messaggero reported on Friday.

Lazard and Citi are acting as advisors for BPM, while Rothschild and Deutsche Bank are advising Credit Agricole, the report added.

(*) The Credit Agricole-BPM deal may run into political opposition in Italy, daily la Repubblica said on Friday, mentioning scepticism from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party.

BANCA MONTE PASCHI DI SIENA, MEDIOBANCA MDBI.MI

Alberto Nagel, the long-serving head of Mediobanca, resigned alongside the board on Thursday after losing a battle to fend off a takeover by Monte dei Paschi di Siena, one of the deals that are redrawing the map of Italy's banking sector.

(*) Nagel will receive a severance package of no more than 5 million euros, but taking in incentives and profits from the sale of shares, he will pocket a total of around 70 million euros, daily La Stampa reported on Friday.

The shareholder take-up in Monte Dei Paschi's bid for Mediobanca reached 64.7% at the end of the third day of reopening on Thursday, according to bourse data.

Reopening of the full voluntary takeover offer on Mediobanca ordinary shares continues and will end on September 22.

(*) STELLANTIS STLAM.MI

Berenberg on Friday raised the rating on the carmaker to 'buy' from 'hold' and raised the target price to 9.5 euros from 9 euros.

Italy's deputy prime minister talked up cooperation with China in the auto industry during an interview with state news agency Xinhua, even as Beijing faces scrutiny from the European Union over extending unfair subsidies to its carmakers.

(*) SNAM SRG.MI

The Italian gas grid group has appointed advisors Rothschild and BNP Paribas to assess a possible sale of its biomethane subsidiary Bioenerys, both MF and Il Sole 24 Ore reported on Friday.

AVIO AVI.MI

Avio and SpaceLaunch, a U.S.-based launch services company headquartered in Austin, Texas, said on Thursday they had signed a Launch Services Agreement to place an institutional Earth observation satellite into orbit aboard Vega C in 2027.

TENARIS TENR.MI

The Italian steel pipe maker said on Thursday it signed a four-year contract with BP BP.L for the supply of casing and tubing, along with technical support and field services, for the Tangguh UCC gas project in Papua Barat, Indonesia.

RECORDATI RECI.MI

The Italian drugmaker said on Thursday its Chief Financial Officer Luigi La Corte had resigned but will stay on the board of the company.

ILLIMITY BANK ILTY.MI

Delisted as of Friday.

DIARY

Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti attends informal ECOFIN meeting in Copenhagen (to September 20).

((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/