Mps, after an initial hesitation, manages to make a price on the stock exchange and drops 5.14% to 2.919 euros: in line with the 2.92 euros at which the shares were placed by the Treasury. «I am proud to have opposed the sell-off of MPS, despite years of failed management of the Democratic Party. Today we are reaping the fruits of strategic choices that will make Italian families earn after the money invested thanks to the latest capital increase. We celebrate a success where all others had failed.” This is what the deputy prime minister and minister said in a note Matteo Salvini. “Now full speed ahead – adds Salvini – with MPS as a protagonist in consolidating the Italian banking system in favor of small and medium-sized enterprises”.
After the placement by the Treasury of the 25% stake in MPS, According to financial analysts, the topic of the bank’s future wedding is back in the news. On Piazza Affari, MPS shares lost 6.9% to 2.86 euros. The outcome of the placement is “clearly very positive and we expect this to be supportive”, highlight Mediobanca analysts. The conditions for mergers and acquisitions are «improving, both on the legal front and due to yesterday’s placement, which, in our opinion, favors mergers and acquisitions with operators of similar size. The Italian press has reported that the government sees Banco BPM as the preferred option for the deal. But Banco Bpm has always rejected any news of its potential interest in MPS. We expect that on December 12, Banco Bpm will announce a solid standalone strategy.” For Equita analysts, the placement of the MPS share received “strong demand from investors. The placement is not entirely unexpected considering the recent strong performance of the stock, supported not only by the operational improvement of the bank, but also by the reduction of the petitum of extraordinary risks, by Fitch’s recent double upgrade on the issuer and by the improvement of the outlook by of Moody’s on the sovereign rating. The placement did not see the entry of an industrial operator into the bank’s capital. In the current market environment we continue to not necessarily see M&A as a short-term scenario.” The government “could now ask for a postponement to 2025 for the remaining 39% share”, explains Intermonte. Press speculation on M&A opportunities is skyrocketing again with Banco Bpm, Bper and Unicredit denying it so far».