News: MQG Italy - Factors to watch on March 18

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 .

GENERAL Italy reported 79,895 COVID-19 related cases on Thursday, against 72,568 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths fell to 128 from 137.

(*) The Italian government announced plans on Thursday to phase out its coronavirus restrictions more than two years after the disease first swept the country, even though cases are once again on the rise.

POLITICS Italy's government is poised to curb the use of Russian anti-virus software in the public sector in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fearing Moscow could hijack the programs to hack key websites, officials said.

ECONOMY (*) No one in Europe expects a recession this year, but the economy will slow because of the turmoil caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Thursday.

ISTAT releases January foreign trade data (0900 GMT). Bank of Italy and Bocconi University 3rd biennial "Financial Stability and Regolation" conference, online, ends (1310 GMT).

COMPANIES INTESA SANPAOLO ISP.MI Italy's biggest bank will detail the impact of the Ukraine conflict on its 2022 earnings when it reports first-quarter results in May, its CEO told a financial conference according to a person who attended the event.

(*) GENERALI GASI.MI The insurer's current head of Austria and central and eastern Europe Luciano Cirinà, proposed by Generali's second largest shareholder Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone as candidate CEO to challenge the reappointment of Philippe Donnet, has asked for a period of leave, daily Il Sole 24 Ore said adding the insurer denied the report.

ENEL ENEI.MI Europe's biggest utility followed in the steps of other energy companies on Thursday by flagging its intention to reduce its exposure to Russia.

The group hiked its dividend after reporting a 7.6% rise in net profits last year boosted by a one-off capital gain and stronger green energy and networks business to meet expectations and guidance.

SNAM SRG.MI The Italian gas infrastructure group is working on a series of infrastructure projects to help boost gas supplies as Europe scrambles to find alternative sources to cut its reliance on Russia.

PIRELLI PIRC.MI The Italian tyre maker said on Thursday it had halted investments in Russia, excluding those linked to security, and that the activity of its factories in the country would be curtailed.

FERRARI RACE.MI The Italian luxury carmaker has decided to remove the logo of Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab from its Formula One cars and the luxury sports car maker is assessing its supply ties with the security software maker, a spokesman said on Thursday.

TELECOMS SECTOR Mobile operator Iliad and rival Wind Tre are nearing a deal to share the costs of rolling out fifth-generation mobile networks (5G) across remote areas of Italy, two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

TELECOM ITALIA (TIM) TLIT.MI The Italian phone group faces a 2.6 billion euro request for damages in a case relating to alleged abuse of its dominant position in the broadband market after a complaint by rival Open Fiber, its 2021 financial statement shows.

A preliminary analysis of an agreement with sport streaming platform DAZN to screen Serie A matches showed some irregularities in the decision-making process, a report by TIM internal auditors showed.

(*)International investment funds are looking at single parts of what will be TIM's services arm after it will be separated from the group's infrastructure assets under CEO Pietro Labriola's plan, La Stampa reported. Daily Il Sole 24 Ore said some investment funds, including U.S. infrastructure group Global Infrastructure Partners (Gip) and Macquarie, would be interested in TIM's network once Labriola's plan makes it easier to combine it to Open Fiber's, creating a single wholesale-only broadband provider.

RAI WAY RWAY.MI A consolidation in Italy's broadcasting tower sector is one of the pillars of Rai Way's industrial plan, the head of the state-controlled tower firm said on Thursday.

WEBUILD WBD.MI The construction group said on Friday revenue this year will be between 7-7.5 billion euros, covered entirely by the current backlog, after it posted a 2021 revenue up 40% year-on year to 6.7 billion.

The group does not operate in Russia or in Ukraine, Chief Executive Pietro Salini said in an interview with Il Messaggero.

Conference call on FY results (0800 GMT).

ENI ENI.MI "Capital Markets Day 2022" online (1300 GMT).

INTERPUMP GROUP ITPG.MI Board meeting on FY results.

DIARY Rome, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi meets Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa and, via videoconference, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ahead of European Council (from 1000 GMT).

Rome, EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni speaks in videoconference before the Chamber of Deputies and EU Policy committees on "EU economy after COVID-19: implications for economic governance" (1000 GMT).

Barberino Del Mugello, Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI) holds presentation of new motorway section with CEO Roberto Tomasi (0830 GMT).

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