Stock Markets March 26, 2026

Milan Stocks Slip as Chemicals, Financials and Industrials Weigh on Market

Investing.com Italy 40 closes down 0.81% after mixed session; oil jumps while gold retreats

By Hana Yamamoto SPMI
Milan Stocks Slip as Chemicals, Financials and Industrials Weigh on Market
SPMI

Italian equities closed lower on Thursday, with the Investing.com Italy 40 index falling 0.81% as losses concentrated in the Chemicals, Financials and Industrials sectors. Saipem, Recordati and Tenaris were the session's top performers, while Prysmian, UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo paced declines. Commodity markets moved sharply, with crude and Brent oil rising and June gold futures sliding.

Key Points

  • Investing.com Italy 40 closed down 0.81% after losses in Chemicals, Financials and Industrials.
  • Top gainers included Saipem (+5.80%), Recordati (+4.75%) and Tenaris (+2.59%); top losers were Prysmian (-2.58%), UniCredit (-2.00%) and Intesa Sanpaolo (-1.80%).
  • Commodities saw sharp moves: May crude oil rose to $94.93 a barrel and June Brent hit $102.05, while June gold futures fell to $4,428.37 an ounce.

Italian stocks finished the trading day lower on Thursday, pressured by declines across the Chemicals, Financials and Industrials sectors. At the close in Milan the Investing.com Italy 40 index was down 0.81%.

Among individual movers, Saipem SpA (BIT:SPMI) led gains on the index, adding 5.80% or 0.21 points to close at 3.81. Recordati (BIT:RECI) rose 4.75% or 2.20 points to finish at 48.48, while Tenaris SA (BIT:TENR) advanced 2.59% or 0.64 points to 25.36 in late trade.

On the downside, Prysmian SpA (BIT:PRY) was the heaviest loser, slipping 2.58% or 2.54 points to end the session at 95.88. UniCredit SpA (BIT:CRDI) fell 2.00% or 1.25 points to 61.16 and Intesa Sanpaolo SpA (BIT:ISP) declined 1.80% or 0.09 points to 5.07.

Decliners outnumbered advancers on the Milan Stock Exchange by 387 to 239, with 39 shares finishing unchanged.


Notable price milestones

  • Saipem's shares climbed to three-year highs, gaining 5.80% to 3.81.
  • Tenaris's stock rose to an all-time high, increasing 2.59% to 25.36.

Commodities and FX movements

Commodity markets registered significant moves during the session. Crude oil for May delivery rose 5.10% or 4.61 to $94.93 a barrel. Brent oil for June delivery increased 4.92% or 4.79 to $102.05 a barrel. By contrast, the June Gold Futures contract fell 3.43% or 157.13 to trade at $4,428.37 a troy ounce.

Currency pairs were largely stable in European trading: EUR/USD was reported unchanged at 1.15, while EUR/GBP was effectively flat at 0.86. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.29% at 99.69.


This session’s market action combined sector-specific weakness with notable commodity volatility. The net result was a modest retreat for the benchmark Italy 40 as select stocks posted strong gains while a larger group of names declined.

Risks

  • Commodity price swings - rising crude and Brent could influence energy-related and industrial company cost structures and investor sentiment.
  • Financial sector weakness - declines in major banks like UniCredit and Intesa Sanpaolo could weigh on the Financials sector and broader market confidence.
  • Market breadth - a larger number of falling stocks versus advancing ones (387 vs. 239) suggests uneven market participation that may increase near-term volatility.

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