MILAN, Nov 14 (Reuters) – The Bank of Italy will discuss how
the deteriorating economic situation is affecting banks’ credit
quality at its annual meeting with major Italian banks next
week, a source close to the central bank said on Wednesday.

The meeting, to take place on Monday, will be attended by
lenders Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Banca
Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Ubi Banca, Banco
Popolare and Mediobanca.

MILAN, Nov 9 (Reuters) – Italy’s No.1 insurer Generali
is to say in January how it plans to boost
profitability and bolster its financial base after completing a
strategic review under the leadership of new boss Mario Greco.

Third-quarter results published on Friday showed the insurer
was rebuilding its financial base and net profit had surged as
Generali avoided a repeat of heavy writedowns on Greek bonds and
other financial assets that had weakened it a year earlier.

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s No.1 insurer Generali (GASI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is to unveil in January how it plans to boost profitability and bolster its financial base after completing a strategic review under the leadership of new boss Mario Greco.

Third-quarter results published on Friday showed the insurer was rebuilding its financial base and net profit had surged as Generali avoided a repeat of the heavy writedowns on Greek bonds and other financial assets that had weakened it a year earlier.

MILAN, Nov 9 (Reuters) – Insurer Generali said it
would unveil details of a new strategic plan in two months to
improve its profitability and bolster its capital position after
reporting 2012 operating profits would surpass 4 billion euros.

New Chief Executive Officer Mario Greco told analysts on
Friday he would present the plan in London, on Jan. 14.

MILAN (Reuters) – Generali’s (GASI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) new Chief Executive Mario Greco may have to grapple with an unwelcome multi-billion-euro payment over its eastern European venture PPF Generali if its Czech partner fails to strike a deal with creditor banks.

Italy’s No.1 insurer is seen posting improved third-quarter results at 0630 GMT on Friday, the first since Greco took office on August 1.

MILAN (Reuters) – Italy’s leading investment bank Mediobanca (MDBI.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is considering further cutting its equity holdings to reduce earnings volatility.

Absence of large impairments on its financial and equity portfolio coupled with lower costs and big trading gains allowed the bank to report a near doubling of first-quarter net profit on Saturday, earnings the bank would like to see stabilize.

MILAN, Oct 27 (Reuters) – First-quarter net profit at
Italy’s leading investment bank Mediobanca doubled
from a year earlier on the back of healthy trading gains and a
sharp reduction in labour and administrative costs.

The bank, which starts its financial year on July 1, on
Saturday reported a better-than-expected net profit of 109
million euros ($140.95 million) and did not book any writedowns
after months of heavy impairments on its financial holdings.

MILAN, Oct 26 (Reuters) – Italy’s biggest retail bank has
turned its historic headquarters in Milan’s central La Scala
square into a majestic modern art museum displaying Italian
post-war works from the likes of Lucio Fontana and Renato
Guttuso.

Palazzo Beltrami, a superb Milanese building which blends
Neoclassical style with eclectic features, was built in 1911 as
a prestigious new head office for Banca Commerciale Italiana,
now part of domestic bank giant IntesaSanpaolo.

MILAN (Reuters) – Italians came forward in droves this week to snap up a record 18 billion euros of a new government bond, offering a substantial vote of confidence in their nation’s economic future.

Tempted by investment returns, and a campaign that pressed patriotic buttons in the face of doubts abroad that Rome can pay its bills, small savers put up much of the $24 billion poured in for the “BTP Italia” over four days to Thursday – the most that any European government has ever raised in a single bond sale.

MILAN, Oct 15 (Reuters) – Private equity fund PAI Partners
has agreed to buy a four-fifths stake in Italian sunglasses
maker Marcolin for 207 million euros ($268.42 million)
and bid for all remaining shares, it said on Monday.

The offer price of 4.25 euros per share was below market
expectations of 4.8 euros a share when reports about the sale
first emerged last week, sending shares in Italy’s No.3 eyewear
manufacturer sharply down.