Italy – Factors to watch on March 4

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 .

ECONOMY

Rating agency Moody’s holds “Credit Trends Conference 2016” in Milan (0800 GMT).

Bari, conference on Italy and Innovation with state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti CEO Fabio Gallia, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Graziano Delrio, Public Administration Minister Marianna Madia, Exprivia CEO Domenico Favuzzi (0815 GMT).

ECONOMY

ISTAT releases Q4 GDP data (0900 GMT).

DEBT

Treasury sells maximum of 2.0 billion euros 4,75 percent BTP bonds due Sept. 1, 2028 in bond swap of following five bonds: 4.0 percent BTP bonds due Feb. 1, 2017; 4.75 percent BTP bonds due May 1, 2017; 5.25 percent BTP bonds dye Aug. 1, 2017; CCTeu bonds due Oct. 15, 2017; 4.5 percent BTP bonds due Feb. 1, 2018. Subscription close at 1000 GMT.

COMPANIES

TELECOM ITALIA

Argentina’s new telecoms regulator on Thursday approved Telecom Italia’s sale of its controlling stake in Telecom Argentina to investment firm Fintech, a source at the regulator said.

Shares in Telecom Italia rose as much as 6.5 percent on Thursday as speculation mounted that CEO Marco Patuano’s job could be at risk due to growing pressure from top investor Vivendi VIV.PA ahead of a board meeting in two weeks.

UNICREDIT

UniCredit, Italy’s biggest bank by assets, needs to streamline governance with a leaner board of directors, the lender’s deputy chairman told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Friday.

MONCLER

Moncler saw a revenue rise of 19 percent at constant exchange rates last year but sales growth slowed in the last few months due to an unusually mild winter in the United States and a drop in tourist flows that affected spending.

MEDIASET, MEDIOLANUM

An Italian appeals court has ruled in favour of a request by former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s holding company to cancel the forced sale of a stake in asset manager Mediolanum, a source close to the matter said.

BANCO POPOLARE, BANCA POPOLARE DI MILANO

The two banks have submitted a revised merger proposal to the European Central Bank to address its requests and there was little room for making further concessions, according to sources familiar with the matter.

* BANCA CARIGE

The lender said on Thursday the ECB had sent a letter asking for a new business plan to be drawn up by the end of May as well as a new funding plan by end March.

A2A

A2A and Linea Group Holding (LGH) exclusive talks on tie-up end (1630 GMT).

ATLANTIA

Board meeting on FY results.

BANCA MONTE DEI PASCHI DI SIENA

New preliminary court hearing on Alexandria and Santorini derivatives trades in Milan.

INWIT, TELECOM ITALIA

Spain’s Cellnex and Italian infrastructure fund F2i are set to sweeten their bid to buy a 45 percent stake in telecom tower group INWIT from main shareholder Telecom Italia, two sources said on Thursday.

ITALMOBILIARE

The company reported a full-year net profit of 54.8 million euros versus loss of 50.1 million euros a year ago.

BANCA GENERALI

The company said total net inflows in February at 584 million euros, up 95 percent year-on-year.

DE LONGHI

De Longhi CEO said he saw organic revenues growing below 5 percent in 2016 and that the company would look at M&A opportunities.

D’AMICO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

Presents FY results (1000 GMT).

For Italian market data and news, click on codes in brackets:

20 biggest gainers (in percentage)…………

20 biggest losers (in percentage)………….

FTSE IT allshare index

FTSE Mib index……..

FTSE Allstars index…

FTSE Mid Cap index….

Block trades……….

Stories on Italy…… IT-LEN

For pan-European market data and news, click on codes in brackets: European Equities speed guide………………. FTSEurofirst 300 index………………………… DJ STOXX index……………………………….. Top 10 STOXX sectors……………………… Top 10 EUROSTOXX sectors…………………. Top 10 Eurofirst 300 sectors………………. Top 25 European pct gainers………………….. Top 25 European pct losers…………………… Main stock markets: Dow Jones…………… Wall Street report ….. Nikkei 225…………. Tokyo report………… FTSE 100…………… London report……….. Xetra DAX…………. Frankfurt market stories CAC-40…………….. Paris market stories… World Indices………………………………. Reuters survey of world bourse outlook……… Western European IPO diary…………………….. European Asset Allocation…………………… Reuters News at a Glance: Equities…………… Main currency report:………………………….