Stock Markets February 19, 2026

Milan Stocks Retreat as Utilities, Travel & Leisure and Tech Weigh on Index

Italy 40 closes down 1.21% as Tenaris posts strong gains while several large names slide

By Sofia Navarro FCT
Milan Stocks Retreat as Utilities, Travel & Leisure and Tech Weigh on Index
FCT

Italian equities finished lower on Thursday, with the Italy 40 index ending the session down 1.21%. Gains in select industrial and healthcare names were insufficient to offset losses led by the Utilities, Travel & Leisure and Technology sectors. Market breadth favored decliners, while crude and Brent oil climbed and gold posted a modest advance.

Key Points

  • The Italy 40 index closed down 1.21% as losses in Utilities, Travel & Leisure and Technology weighed on the market.
  • Top gainers included Tenaris (up 9.48% to 23.10, reaching all-time highs), DiaSorin (up 2.01% to 69.10) and Leonardo (up 1.89% to 59.20).
  • Major decliners included Fincantieri (down 11.84% to 14.52), Stellantis (down 4.21% to 6.42) and Enel (down 3.59% to 8.96); overall breadth favored decliners (410 down, 288 up, 60 unchanged).

Shares on the Milan exchange closed broadly lower on Thursday, with the Italy 40 sliding 1.21% by the end of trading. Pressure came from a number of sectors, with the Utilities, Travel & Leisure and Technology groups contributing to the downturn.

At the individual stock level, Tenaris SA (BIT:TENR) was the sessions top performer, jumping 9.48% - a rise of 2.00 points - to finish at 23.10. The stock reached all-time highs during the session. DiaSorin SpA (BIT:DIAS) also posted gains, adding 2.01% or 1.36 points to close at 69.10, while Leonardo SpA (BIT:LDOF) advanced 1.89% or 1.10 points to end the day at 59.20.

Not all names fared well. Fincantieri SpA (BIT:FCT) retreated sharply, falling 11.84% or 1.95 points to close at 14.52. Stellantis NV (BIT:STLAM) declined 4.21% or 0.28 points to finish at 6.42, and Enel (BIT:ENEI) slipped 3.59% or 0.33 points to end the session at 8.96.

Market breadth on the Milan Stock Exchange showed more falling issues than rising ones: 410 stocks lost ground, 288 advanced and 60 finished unchanged.


Commodity markets moved higher during the trading day. Crude oil for April delivery rose 2.49% - up 1.62 to $66.67 a barrel. Brent oil for April delivery climbed 2.20% or 1.55 to $71.90 a barrel. Precious metals saw a smaller move, with the April Gold Futures contract increasing 0.13% or 6.75 to trade at 5,016.25 a troy ounce.

On the currency front, EUR/USD was quoted unchanged at 1.18 while EUR/GBP was unchanged at 0.87. The US Dollar Index Futures showed a rise of 0.26%, trading at 97.87.


This session highlighted divergent performance within the Italy 40: a handful of stocks recorded meaningful gains, led by Tenaris reaching new highs, but broader selling across several major sectors pushed the benchmark lower by 1.21% at the close.

Risks

  • Sector concentration of losses - Utilities, Travel & Leisure and Technology underperformed and could continue to exert negative pressure on the broader market.
  • Notable single-stock volatility - large moves in individual names such as Fincantieris 11.84% drop may increase index-level volatility and pose risks to portfolios with concentrated exposure.
  • Commodity price swings - meaningful increases in crude and Brent oil introduce energy price risk that can affect related sectors and the broader market depending on persistence of the move.

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