Stock Markets March 2, 2026

Milan market slips as Italy 40 drops 1.87% amid sector losses

Financials, healthcare and utilities lead declines while energy names outperform; oil and dollar climb

By Leila Farooq IG
Milan market slips as Italy 40 drops 1.87% amid sector losses
IG

Italian equities closed lower on Monday with the Investing.com Italy 40 index down 1.87% in Milan. Losses were concentrated in Financials, Healthcare and Utilities, though select energy and industrial names posted gains. Market breadth favored decliners, and commodities and currency moves were notable alongside equity shifts.

Key Points

  • Investing.com Italy 40 closed down 1.87% in Milan as Financials, Healthcare and Utilities led declines.
  • Top gainers included Eni (+3.63%), Leonardo (+2.50%) and Italgas (+1.55%); worst performers included Stellantis (-7.16%), Brunello Cucinelli (-4.57%) and Unipol (-4.25%).
  • Commodity and currency moves were significant: U.S. crude and Brent rose sharply, gold futures increased, EUR/USD fell and the U.S. Dollar Index Futures strengthened.

Market close in Milan

Italian shares finished the session lower on Monday, with the Investing.com Italy 40 falling 1.87% at the close in Milan. Weakness in the Financials, Healthcare and Utilities sectors weighed on the market overall.

Top and bottom movers

The strongest performers on the Italy 40 were:

  • Eni SpA (BIT:ENI) - up 3.63% or 0.71 points to 20.37 at the close.
  • Leonardo SpA (BIT:LDOF) - up 2.50% or 1.42 points to 58.22.
  • Italgas SpA (BIT:IG) - up 1.55% or 0.17 points to 11.11.

The weakest names in the session included:

  • Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM) - down 7.16% or 0.50 points to 6.44 at the close.
  • Brunello Cucinelli (BIT:BCU) - down 4.57% or 3.76 points to 78.58.
  • Unipol Gruppo Finanziario Spa (BIT:UNPI) - down 4.25% or 0.90 points to 20.26.

Market breadth and notable milestones

Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the Milan Stock Exchange by 493 to 304, while 41 stocks finished unchanged. Shares of Eni SpA rose to a five-year high, closing up 3.63% at 20.37.

Commodities and currencies

Commodity markets moved notably alongside equities. Crude oil for April delivery gained 5.36%, rising 3.59 to $70.61 a barrel. Brent crude for May delivery climbed 5.82%, up 4.24 to $77.11 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract increased 1.36% or 71.11 to trade at 5,319.01 a troy ounce.

In currency and index futures trading, EUR/USD was down 1.02% to 1.17, while EUR/GBP was recorded at 0.87 with an unchanged 0.38%. The US Dollar Index Futures rose 0.99% to 98.53.

Takeaway

Monday's session in Milan was broadly negative, driven by losses in Financials, Healthcare and Utilities, even as several energy and industrial names posted gains. Movements in oil, gold and currency markets accompanied the equity declines.

Risks

  • Equity market weakness across Financials, Healthcare and Utilities may signal continued downside pressure for those sectors.
  • Sharp rises in oil prices could affect sector dynamics and broader market sentiment, influencing energy-linked assets and costs.
  • Volatility in currency markets - including a lower EUR/USD and a firmer dollar - adds uncertainty for exporters and importers and may influence multinational earnings.

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