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 .
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 MIL:BAMI, BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA MIL:BMPS
Banco BPM Chief Executive Giuseppe Castagna said on Thursday that a merger with the Italian arm of France's Credit Agricole EURONEXT:ACA 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 MIL:ANIM, 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 MIL:MB
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 MIL:STLAM
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 MIL:SRG
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 MIL:AVIO
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 MIL:TEN
The Italian steel pipe maker said on Thursday it signed a four-year contract with BP LSE:BP. 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 MIL:REC
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: ))
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