Italian Stocks - Factors to watch on Monday
MILAN, May 10 (Reuters) - 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 (*).
FINMECCANICA SPA (SIFI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
Aerospace and defence company Finmeccanica SpA is close to making an offer of nearly 3.5 billion euros ($5.41 billion) for U.S. military engineering company DRS Technologies Inc. (DRS.N: Quote, Profile, Research), Il Sole 24 Ore business daily reported on Sunday.
The board could formalise its offer on Monday, it said.
For a story, double click on [nL11103147].
Finmeccanica will carry out a capital increase to finance the deal, along with a bridge loan of about 2 billion euros, Il Giornale reported on Monday. The loan is likely to be converted into a bond. Finmeccanica also could sell shares in chip maker STMicroelectronics NV (STM.PA: Quote, Profile, Research) to help pay for the buy and sell off part of DRS once the deal is completed, it said.
ENI SPA (ENI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
* The oil company and other members of a Western consortium developing the giant Kashagan oilfield in Kazakhstan have proposed delaying the start of production to 2012-13, Kazakh Energy Minister Sauat Mynbayev said on Monday.
He said Kazakhstan would impose sanctions on the group in case of output delays.
For a story, double click on [nL12562808]
Libya on Friday accepted an apology from a newly appointed Italian minister who offended Muslims in 2006, and withdrew threats of "repercussions" against Italy.
For a story, double click on [nL09133632].
UBI BANCA SPA (UBI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
Italy's fith-biggest retail bank UBI Banca is ready for buying opportunities and has a strong enough balance sheet for acquisitions, its chief executive officer told Reuters on Friday, but no talks are under way.
For a story, double click on [nMAT008169].
ALITALIA SPA (AZPIa.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
The Italian government is seeking a "domestic solution" involving private investors for ailing airline Alitalia, the new economy minister said on Saturday.
For a story, double click on [nL10414013].
Candidates for new chief executive officer include turnaround specialist Mario Resca and Maurizio Basile, a former executive at Aeroporti di Roma, Il Sole 24 Ore reported on Sunday.
* TELECOM ITALIA SPA (TLIT.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
According to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Spain's Telefonica SA (TEF.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) has an option to buy out Telco's stake in Telecom Italia in case the other partners plan to sell their shares to third parties, Il Sole 24 Ore reported on Saturday.
IRIDE SPA (IRD.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), ENIA (EN.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), HERA (HRA.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
The regional utilities could sign a letter of intent for a tie-up shortly and name advisers for a deal, with a view to having a single company listed on the bourse in mid-2009, La Repubblica said on Monday.
Rome utility Acea SpA (ACE.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) could seek a tie-up with Lombardy's A2A (A2.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), it said.
FIAT SPA (FIA.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
Italy's Agnelli family has given no mandate to sell Fiat SpA's car business, the outgoing head of the holding that controls the industrial group said in an interview published on Sunday.
For a story, double click on [nL11104434].
LOTTOMATICA SPA (LTO.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
The lottery operator is expecting 2008 revenues of more than 2 billion euros and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of about 760 million euros, Il Sole 24 Ore said in its Sunday "Letter to the Investor".
TISCALI SPA (TIS.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
Broadband operator Tiscali should have received offers from six bidders, Milano Finanza reported on Saturday. They are Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Carphone Warehouse Group Plc (CPW.L: Quote, Profile, Research), British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc (BSY.L: Quote, Profile, Research), Fastweb SpA (FWB.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), BT Group Plc (BT.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and Italy's Wind, it said.
Vodafone and another company would have offered to buy the entire company, while the others are interested only in British or Italian assets, Milano Finanza said. Tiscali's board will meet on Monday and the company releases first-quarter results.
BANCA ITALEASE (BIL.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
The leasing company could turn in an "extremely positive" surprise this year, Mimmo Guidotti, vice chairman of Italease's executive board, said on Saturday.
SAFILO (SFLG.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
Safilo Chairman Vittorio Tabacchi told la Repubblica's Finanza & Mercati in an interview on Monday it would be difficult for eyewear groups in the Bellunese area to keep export growth rates at around 80 percent as in past years because of dollar weakness.
He said China presented an opportunity for the groups, whose main export markets are eastern Asia, the Gulf and European countries.
A2A SPA (A2.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
The regional utility is ready to start tie-up talks with smaller Lombardy peers ACSM SpA (ACSM.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) and AGAM Monza SpA, Borsa & Finanza reported on Saturday. A2A then would look for tie-ups with Linea Group Holding and Mantua utility Gruppo TEA SpA.
ASCOPIAVE SPA (ASCI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
Northeastern utility Ascopiave has put aside plans for a tie-up with other regional companies, Chairman Guido Salton was quoted as saying in Il Sole 24 Ore on Saturday. The company is in talks with an unnamed Lombardy group with mostly private capital, he said.
The following companies report first-quarter results on Monday: TERNA SPA (TRN.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), AUTOGRILL SPA (AGL.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), GEOX SPA (GEO.MI: Quote, Profile, Research), RCS MEDIAGROUP SPA (RCSM.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) and SEAT PAGINE GIALLE SPA (PGIT.MI: Quote, Profile, Research)
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