FX.co ★ Italian Stocks Halt 4-Day Gain

The FTSE MIB index declined to approximately 39,573 in early trading on Thursday, ending a four-day trend of gains as dominant financial sector stocks saw a downturn. Investors remained attentive to monetary policy decisions issued by major central banks throughout the region. The Federal Reserve, on the other hand, held interest rates steady, though it indicated potential rate cuts later this year, amidst ongoing uncertainties stemming from President Donald Trump's trade policies. In the financial sector, significant losses were observed among prominent stocks: UniCredit dipped by 2.3%, Intesa Sanpaolo by 1.9%, Banco BPM by 2.4%, Mediobanca by 1.1%, Unipol Gruppo by 1.4%, and BPER Banca by 1.7%. On the economic front, Italy's construction output surged by 4.2% in January, marking the highest growth rate since July of the previous year.