Italian cooperative banks soaring in stock market – A decision that might lead to the creation of a third financial group in Italy, with a long awaited consolidation (January 20 in the Wall Street Journal – Rule Change Could Prompt Italian Bank Consolidation; and Handelsblatt – Neue Regeln machen Geldhäuser zu Übernahmezielen). The reform of cooperative banks has attracted the interest of the main international financial papers and expectations have made the groups involved take off in the stock market (Financial Times, January 20 – Italian bank shares rise on reform hopes; Bloomberg, January 19 – Italy Cooperative Banks Rise on Possible Governance Changes; Reuters, January 20 – Italy bank decree would reform popolari shareholder rules-source).
New offerings and foreign investments – Cooperatives banks are not the only subject of concern of the foreign. Reuters reported on the process of the share offering in OVS in Milan di OVS (January 15 – Italy’s OVS files Milan listing request with regulator) and on the possible quotation of Fideuram (January 19 – Intesa open to list private banking, asset manager – paper). Bloomsberg also discusses this, with an interview of the Intesa Sanpaolo CEO Carlo Messina during the World Economic Forum at Davos (January 21 – Intesa Sanpaolo’s Messina Speaks in Davos Interview).
There was also focus on the foreign investments coming into Italy. Chinese investors – explains Reuters – are reinforcing their ties with Italy by purchasing 2% of Terna ” (January 16 – China boosts Italy ties as central bank buys into Terna), but there is even greater attention on emirates of Ethiad, which have presented a plan to relaunch Alitalia. According to the articles, its turnover should be active by 2017 (Wall Street Journal, 20 – Alitalia Pledges Return to Profit by 2017; Bloomberg, January 20 – Alitalia’s new chairman: aiming to be profitable in 2017; Les Echos, January 21 – Etihad vise l’équilibre en 2016 pour Alitalia; Gulf News, 20 – Etihad looking for return on Alitalia investment — CEO),
Top appointments: Lorenzo Bini Smaghi and Giovanni Caforio – There were also articles on the appointment of two Italians to the head of foreign groups Lorenzo Bini Smaghi was named president of the French Société générale (January 20 in Le Monde, January 20 – Un Italien pour présider la Société générale; and Les Echos – Lorenzo Bini Smaghi : un néokeynésien proche de Matteo Renzi) and Giovanni Caforio, who will become Chief Executive Officer of the multinational pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers succeeding Lamberto Andreotti, who was named president (Wall Steet Jorunal, January 20 – Bristol-Myers Operating Chief to Become CEO in May; Bloomberg, 20 – Bristol-Myers Names New CEO as Andreotti Becomes Chairman; Reuters, January 20 – Bristol-Myers taps insider Caforio as next CEO).
Men’s fashion, runways and business – Along with the foreign press’s discussion of the economy, there was also interest in fashion events, such as Pitti Uomo and the Milan Fashion Week. The New York Times traveled to Florence to discover the tastes of the new consumer (January 17 – At Pitti Uomo in Florence, Tracking the Taste of a New Consumer) and the latest trend in hats (January 16 – At Pitti Uomo in Florence, Put a Hat on It). Other papers concentrated on the normality of the Milan fashion shows (Washington Post, January 18 – Milan Fashion designers celebrate normality), the taste for sports tailoring in men’s luxury goods (El Pais, January 20 – Milán, al gusto del nuevo consumidor) and more (Financial Times, January 19 – Milan Fashion Week: Menswear report 3 Les Echos, January 20 – Fashion Week : Brioni défile pour ses 70 ans).
But fashion is also economic. Les Echos recalled this, explaining how the fall of the euro can encourage the growth of Made in Italy (January 16 – Mode masculine?: la baisse de l’euro dope le made in Italy), a tendency clearly seen by Brunello Cucinelli who, in an interview with the French paper, emphasized that the Italian fashion industry is undergoing a Renaissance (January 16 – Brunello Cucinelli : « Notre industrie est en pleine renaissance en Italie»). Instead, Bloomberg reported on the appointment of Alessandro Michele as creative director of Gucci, a choice aimed at increasing the Florentine brand’s growth (January 21 – Gucci’s Michele Lands Creative Role With Remit to Restore Growth).
Tourism and culture – Finally, there were also reports on tourism and culture. the Sunday Times wrote about the not to miss appointments in Italy over the coming months (January 18 – Italy special: the culture calendar), also suggesting captivating itineraries to follow with two Italian vehicles, a Ferrari and a Vespa (January 18 – The girl racer’s guide to Tuscany). Other suggestions came from the New York Times with proposals as to how to really enjoy the Carnival of Venice (17 – Fashion a Mask for Carnival in Venice) and by O Globo, which – still in lagoon – went shopping among the glass makers of Murano (January 19 – Passeios por fábricas de vidro e boas compras são destaque em Murano, na Itália).
In addition, the New York Times reported record snow storms on the Alps (January 22 – Skiing Record Snow in Italy), while other papers ran articles about places further south. The Sunday Times wrote about the charm of Basilicata with its electrifying hotels operated in the rock city of Matera (18 – Basilicata rocks), Time explained how the ancient ruins discovered at Ercolano shed new light on life in the cities near Pompei (January 20 – Scientists Unlock Secrets of Ancient Scrolls Near Pompeii), and the Wall Street Journal, traveled to the slopes of Etna where a wine unparalleled in Europe is produced (January 20 – Winemaking on the Slopes of Sicily’s Volcano).
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