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☆ The Link, Dubai: The UAE’s longest suspended infinity pool just opened on the world’s longest cantilever building
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Rebecca Cairns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The newly opened twin skyscrapers One Za’abeel are home to the world’s longest cantilever building and on it, the United Arab Emirates’ longest suspended infinity pool, which is 120 meters (393 feet) in length. The 120-meter-long (394-feet) pool at The Link is the UAE's longest suspended infinity pool. World's highest infinity pool: Dubai has another Guinness World Record to add to the pile. Courtesy Address Hotel + Resorts Two world records: The skybridge connecting the top part of Jumeirah Gate is home to luxury apartments. Courtesy Address Hotel + Resorts Bedroom: There are 217 guest rooms and suites in the hotel and close to 1,000 apartments in Address Beach Residences.

Persons: Fadi Jabri, “, it’s, Badr Benryane, “ It’s, ”, Benryane, You’re, Skypool, it's Organizations: CNN, CNN —, United, United Arab Emirates ’, Nikkei, cabanas, VIP cabanas, Resorts Zeta, Zeta Seventy, Eiffel, Covid Locations: CNN — Dubai, United Arab, Sekkei Dubai, Peruvian, loungers, Dubai, Jumeirah, Badr

☆ My kids don't remember the traveling we did when they were younger, but I treasure the memories for them
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Sarah Seefeldt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

My husband and I have been traveling with our four kids since they were young. AdvertisementTheir memories from our trips aren't quite what I'd hoped they'd beFrom our trip to Petra, the two older kids remember riding a donkey and riding a horse. At first, I was disappointed they didn't remember more from our family vacations. I wondered if it was a waste of time and effort if they didn't remember. Courtesy of the authorDespite what they remember, my memories are still pricelessMy kids are a little older now, and the trips we take stick in their memories a little better.

Persons: —, it's, I'd, they'd, Sarah Seefeldt's, they've, I've Organizations: Service Locations: United States, Amman, Jordan, Petra, Lebanon, Byblos, Jeita, Europe, London, Egypt, Red, America

☆ The new architecture set to shape the world in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Kéré’s Berlin-based firm says the building’s top-heavy appearance was inspired by the palaver tree, which traditionally served as a meeting place. Designed for developer s2e Technologies by US architecture firm Gensler, the four circular residential structures can accommodate a combined 84 households. But it is perhaps Bjarke Ingels, founder of Danish design firm BIG, that has had the greatest impact on the city’s once modest skyline. The first restored sections are set to be ready in time for this summer’s Paris Olympics. Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta and local practice Blight Rayner — who together beat more than 20 entries in an international competition — say that the design was inspired by the flow of the Brisbane River.

Persons: David Chipperfield, Francis Kéré, Kéré, China Stefano Boeri, Bosco, Stefano Boeri, Mestres Wåge, Nicolai Tangen, NBBJ, Dror, EPIQ, Ecuador Uribe Schwarzkopf, Bjarke, Moshe Safdie, Jean Nouvel, Ma Yansong, Ingels, France Chatillon Architectes, Notre Dame isn’t, Chatillon, Nikken Sekkei, ”, “, Blight Rayner —, Aunty Lilla Watson Organizations: CNN, superlatives, Malaysia’s, Benin National Assembly, Forest, Kunstsilo, Keppel South, Enclave, s2e Technologies, Bjarke Ingels, BIG, UNESCO, Heritage, Notre Dame, Palais, Beaux -, Chatillon Architects, UAE Kerzner, United, “ Michelin, New York Times, Gang, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Queensland Performing Arts Locations: India, Benin, Porto, Novo, Burkina Faso, Kéré’s Berlin, Nanjing, China, Milan, Italy, Europe, China’s, Kristiansand, Norway, Norwegian, Keppel, Keppel South Central, Singapore, London, Canada, London , Ontario, Quito, Ecuador, Bjarke Ingels Quito, Parque La Carolina, Paris, France, Dubai, UAE, United Arab Emirates, Hotel, Denver, USA, Denver , Colorado, Urban, Brisbane, Australia, Australian

☆ Italy's competition watchdog stops Intesa moving clients to mobile bank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Intesa Sanpaolo bank logo and stock graph are seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. Italy's AGCM antitrust authority opened a probe earlier this month into the way Intesa was transferring clients to Isybank after a raft of complaints which the watchdog said had now reached 5,000. It wants Intesa to only move clients who explicitly give their consent. Isybank targets 4 million Intesa customers under 65 who only access their banking services remotely. The group migrated the first 300,000 Intesa account holders in October and plans to shift another 2 million in March.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Intesa, AGCM, Carlo Messina, Antonio Valitutti, Isybank, Valentina Za, Giulia Segreti, Christina Fincher, Jane Merriman, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Italy, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Italy

☆ Intesa's CET1 requirement under SREP process rises to 9.32%
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Intesa San Paolo bank headquaters is seen in Turin, Italy, November 7, 2018. The ECB had set the same threshold at 8.88% for the current year. The new requirement kicks in on Jan. 1, 2024. The increase to 2023 stems mostly from a buffer that 'Other Systemically Important Institutions' (O-SII) are due to hold, which stands at 1.25% for 2024 versus 0.75% in 2023. The countercyclical buffer requirement also inched up slightly to 0.23% from 0.16%, Intesa said.

Persons: headquaters, Stefano Rellandini, Intesa, Valentina Za, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: Paolo, Turin, Italy

☆ Intesa CEO says bank profits at peak
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Carlo Messina, Chief Executive Officer of Intesa Sanpaolo bank, looks on during a meeting in Rome, Italy April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Bank profits are close to peaking, and net fees will again play a prominent role from next year, giving an edge to banks such as Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) which has a diversified business model, Chief Executive Carlo Messina said on Thursday. "There is no doubt that we are currently in a peak phase for bank profits," Messina said. Italian banks have posted record profits this year thanks to higher interest rates, which lifted lending costs while deposit returns remained very low. Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Gianluca SemeraroOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlo Messina, Remo Casilli, Messina, Valentina Za, Gianluca Semeraro Organizations: REUTERS, Bank, Thomson Locations: Sanpaolo, Rome, Italy

☆ Berlusconi family holding adds two board seats as daughter Eleonora joins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Eleonora Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi and Luigi Berlusconi react on the day of the state funeral of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi outside the Duomo Cathedral, in Milan, Italy June 14, 2023. The other new entry is lawyer Michele Carpinelli, an M&A expert and a long-time family adviser, the source added. In his will, Berlusconi, who died aged 86 in June, handed his eldest children, Marina and Pier Silvio, joint control of Fininvest through a combined, indirect 52% stake. Marina and Pier Silvio have been directly involved in running the family business for almost two decades. Pier Silvio, Barbara and Luigi have long been board members.

Persons: Eleonora Berlusconi, Barbara Berlusconi, Luigi Berlusconi, Silvio Berlusconi, Claudia Greco, Berlusconi, Michele Carpinelli, Silvio, Barbara, Eleonora, Luigi, Marina Berlusconi, Berlusconi's, Mediolanum, Elvira Pollina, Keith Weir, Valentina Za Organizations: Italian, Duomo Cathedral, REUTERS, Repubblica, Marina, Mondadori, Thomson Locations: Duomo, Milan, Italy

Amundi signed a 10-year distribution accord in 2017 when it bought UniCredit's Pioneer Investments for 3.6 billion euros. Credit Agricole CEO Philippe Brassac told reporters this month it was no secret UniCredit was looking at ways "to optimise" the accord with Amundi. Orcel, sources have said, is unhappy with the amount of Amundi funds the accord binds UniCredit to place with customers. UniCredit had 134 billion euros in AUM from fund and portfolio management as of Sept. 30. If their relationship ended after 2027, it would still take UniCredit time to replace Amundi funds with other products.

Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Amundi, Andrea Orcel, UniCredit, Philippe Brassac, Brassac, Orcel, Azimut, Valentina Za, Mathieu Rosemain, Silvia Aloisi, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Investments, Agricole, Credit, Amundi, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, MILAN, Italy, Italian, Milan

☆ Italy raises $1 bln as reduces Monte dei Paschi stake
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NOVEMBER 2007 - MPS buys Antonveneta from Santander (SAN.MC) for 9 billion euros in cash, months after the Spanish bank paid 6.6 billion euros for it. JULY 2011 - MPS raises 2.15 billion euros in a rights issue ahead of European stress test results. JUNE 2014 - MPS raises 5 billion euros in a rights issue and repays the state 3.1 billion euros. JUNE 2015 - MPS raises 3 billion euros in cash after a 5.3 billion euro net loss for 2014 on record bad loan writedowns. It repays the remaining 1.1 billion euro state underwritten special bond.

Persons: Valentina Za, Keith Weir Organizations: MILAN, Monday, MPS, JPMorgan, Treasury, Bank of Italy, Antonveneta, Italy's, ECB, EU Commission, Thomson Locations: Italy, Siena, Santander, Europe

MPS shares were down 7.8% at 2.83 euros by 1145 GMT on Tuesday, reflecting the impact of the sale. EU COMMITMENTSBofA Securities, Jefferies and UBS Europe coordinated the accelerated bookbuilding for the stake sale, the Treasury said in a statement. Commitments Italy agreed with European Union competition authorities at the time of the bailout bind Rome to eventually sell its entire stake in the bank. Two years ago heavyweight UniCredit (CRDI.MI) sank the government's privatisation efforts, forcing Rome to seek more time from the EU. The stake sale is seen as giving Italy more flexibility to pursue a long-term solution for MPS via a merger with a rival, after negotiations with UniCredit were complicated by an impending re-privatisation deadline.

Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Luigi Lovaglio, Giancarlo Giorgetti, Giorgia Meloni, Valentina Za, Lincoln, Richard Chang, Mark Potter Organizations: Monte, REUTERS, Treasury, MPS, BofA Securities, Jefferies, UBS Europe, European Union, Reuters, Economy, Banco, BPER Banca, EU, Thomson Locations: Monte dei, Siena, Italy, MILAN, Rome

☆ Blackstone, Macquarie deny ASPI sale report, pledge commitment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Signage is seen outside the Blackstone Group headquarters in New York City, U.S., January 18, 2023. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Blackstone and Macquarie on Friday dismissed as "completely false" an Italian newspaper report about possible ownership changes at Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI), pledging their commitment as investors in the motorway operator. Following the 2022 deal, ASPI is controlled by state-lender CDP with funds Blackstone (BX.N) and Australia's Macquarie (MQG.AX). Under JPMorgan's plan ASTM would transfer its assets to ASPI whose shareholders would be CDP, Gavio group and Blackstone. In denying the report, Macquarie said it was committed to the "ongoing delivery of ASPI's multi-billion euro investment programme".

Persons: JP Morgan, Italy's, ASPI, Australia's Macquarie, Macquarie, Blackstone, Matteo Salvini, Elisa Anzolin, Giuseppe Fonte, Valentina Za Organizations: Blackstone Group, REUTERS, Blackstone, La Stampa, ASTM, Benetton, Shareholders, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Macquarie, Ardian, Milan, Rome

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Israeli military said it is conducting a raid inside Gaza’s biggest hospital Al-Shifa as it targets Hamas militants it claims are operating beneath the structure — which the militant group and hospital officials deny. The United States on Tuesday cited intelligence suggesting Hamas has a command node under the hospital, seeming to back Israel’s assertion. What’s happening on the ground: Khaled Abu Samra, a doctor at the hospital, told CNN they were given 30 minutes’ warning before the Israeli operation on the complex began. Khader Al Za’anoun, a journalist inside the hospital, told CNN that Israeli tanks had moved into the hospital complex, and there were gunfire exchanges across the yard. It’s unclear whether there are IDF soldiers inside the hospital buildings, Al Za’anoun said.

Persons: Israel, Hamas’s “, ” Israel, Peter Lerner, Khaled Abu Samra, “, ”, Khader Al Za’anoun, Al Za’anoun, Mai Al, Kaila Organizations: Hamas, CNN, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, Health Ministry, Israel Locations: Gaza, United States, “, Ramallah, Israel

CNN —Israeli forces launched a raid Wednesday on Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, after accusing Hamas of operating from tunnels beneath the vast complex – a claim denied by the militant group and hospital officials. A satellite image shows Al-Shifa hospital, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza on November 7. Hagari at the time offered only one piece of evidence: a phone call purporting to be between two Gazans discussing the presence of Hamas’s headquarters at the Al-Shifa hospital. An aerial view shows the compound of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on November 7. Wounded Palestinians sit in Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, after arriving from Al-Ahli hospital following an explosion there on October 17.

Persons: Khaled Abu Samra, “, ”, Khader Al Za’anoun, Peter Lerner, Dawood Nemer, Israel, Daniel Hagari, Hagari, Al Rantisi children’s, Bashar Taleb, Israel’s, Wednesday’s, Medhat Abbas, Mai Al, Kaila, Abed Khaled, ” John Kirby, Joe Biden, Kirby, Biden, Shin, Avi Dichter Organizations: CNN, UN, Hamas, Maxar Technologies, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel Defense Forces, Wednesday, Getty, IDF, Al, Palestinian Authority Health, Israel, United Nations, US National Security Council, Internal Security, Amnesty Locations: Al, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, ”, Gaza City, AFP, Hagari, “, Ahli, United States

☆ Al-Shifa Hospital: Israel says it is carrying out ‘precise and targeted operation’ in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( David Shortell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Israeli military is carrying out a “precise and targeted operation” in Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, according to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces, and Israeli tanks have moved into the hospital complex, a journalist inside the hospital told CNN. “We can see them pointing the guns of the tanks toward the hospital. The Israeli operation is taking place in a “specified area” of Al-Shifa Hospital, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which again accused Hamas of continuing to use the hospital for military purposes – claims Hamas and hospital officials have repeatedly denied. A doctor inside Al-Shifa told CNN they were given 30 minutes’ warning before the Israeli operation began. The Israeli statement said, “The IDF is conducting a ground operation in Gaza to defeat Hamas and rescue our hostages.

Persons: Khader Al Za’anoun, –, Shifa, “, Dr, Khaled Abu Samra, Al Shifa, ” Israel, General Antonio Guterres Organizations: CNN, Shifa, Israel Defense Forces, Palestinian Health Ministry, United Nations Locations: Gaza’s Al, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah

☆ UniCredit CEO Orcel's 'bank of Europe' ambition tough to realise
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Valentina Za | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, his aspirations to make UniCredit the "bank of Europe" are proving trickier to realise with the CEO setting a high bar for mergers and acquisitions in the euro zone's fractured capital markets, despite having what he describes as the biggest war chest among European lenders. UniCredit bought Greece's 9% stake in Alpha Bank (ACBr.AT) and struck a commercial partnership with the Athens-based lender, also acquiring most of its Romanian operations. The CEO works closely with a small M&A team he set up within UniCredit which constantly reviews potential deals in the markets and businesses where the bank operates, people with knowledge of the matter said. But uneven regulation across the euro zone, where progress towards a single banking market has stalled, complicates cross-border deals. Calling on Europe to follow his lead, Orcel says he has unlocked UniCredit's potential by giving it a unified strategy across its 13 markets.

Persons: Andrea Orcel, Merrill Lynch, Orcel, He's, Cole Smead, ALPHA Orcel, Siena, UniCredit, Smead, Jean, Pierre Mustier's, Mustier, it's, Carlo Franchini, Danilo Masoni, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Discount, MILAN, UBS, Smead Capital Management, Fund, ALPHA, Banco, Alpha Bank, Alpha, Banca Ifigest, Thomson Locations: buybacks, Europe, Arizona, Ukraine, Athens, HVB, Berlin, Milan

☆ Italy Finance Minister evokes default risk to defend bank measures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Giuseppe Fonte | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Minister of Economic Development Giancarlo Giorgetti attends the first voting session at the lower house of parliament to elect the new speaker in Rome, Italy, October 13, 2022. "In two or three years' time, when I may not be around but there will be a default crisis, perhaps someone will say that our government was not so crazy," Giorgetti said, without giving further details of this scenario. The average default rate for Italian companies rose for the first time in nearly decade in 2022 to stand at 2.4% in December, compared with a record low of 1.6% in December 2021, credit data company CRIF said last month. The rate has edged up in the first half of 2023 to 2.5%, CRIF added, forecasting it could get to 3% by the end of 2023. ($1 = 0.9346 euros)Additional reporting by Valentina Za in Milan; Editing by Gareth Jones and Alexander SmithOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Giancarlo Giorgetti, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Giorgetti, CRIF, Valentina Za, Gareth Jones, Alexander Smith Organizations: Economic, REUTERS, Italian Economy, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, ROME, Italian, Europe, Israel, Ukraine, Milan

☆ MPS gets dismissal of $481 mln in claims upheld in court
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Milan's civil appeals court on Thursday upheld a ruling rejecting a 450 million euro ($481 million) damage claim brought by Luxembourg-based fund Alkem against Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI), the bank's former top management and its adviser Nomura , the court said in a statement. The rulings are beneficial for MPS which is 64% owned by the state following a 2017 bailout, and must be re-privatised. Alken had sought around 450 million euros in compensation and Virmont SA another 4.7 million, the court said, adding there were further smaller claims from some Italian investors. The civil appeals court in Milan also cited the ruling of the criminal court of appeal in Milan that had acquitted all the defendants in the case centring around the two derivatives deals, a decision confirmed by Italy's top court last month. ($1 = 0.9356 euros)Reporting by Emilio Parodi, editing by Valentina ZaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Siena, Nomura, Alken, Emilio Parodi, Valentina Za Organizations: MILAN, Monte dei, Deutsche Bank, Nomura, MPS, Virmont SA, Thomson Locations: Luxembourg, Milan

☆ Italy's Nexi confirms guidance after earnings meet forecasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Italian payments group Nexi is pictured inside their headquarters in Milan, Italy, March 28, 2019. Nexi said it had sold ID, a system to verify users' online identity and data, which it had lined up for disposal during its latest capital markets day to streamline its operations. Nexi's earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation came in at 495.8 million euros ($531 million), fractionally ahead of analyst forecasts. Revenues totalled 872 million euros, in line with expectations. ($1 = 0.9343 euros)Reporting by Valentina Za, editing by Giulia SegretiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alessandro Garofalo, Nexi, amortisation, Valentina Za, Giulia Segreti Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Milan, Italy

☆ Monte dei Paschi beats profit forecast, strengthens capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

View of the logo of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), the oldest bank in the world, which faces massive layoffs as part of a planned corporate merger, in Siena, Italy, August 11, 2021. REUTERS / Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMILAN, Nov 8 (Reuters) - State-owned Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS.MI) on Wednesday became the latest Italian bank to surprise markets with stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings thanks to a boost from higher rates. Monte dei Paschi (MPS) is 64% owned by the state, which is working on reducing its stake in the Tuscan lender in line with re-privatisation commitments taken with the European Union. High-street banks in Italy have been able to keep at a minimum the portion of the increase in official rates they pass onto depositors. MPS said its core capital ratio had strengthened further in the quarter to 16.7%, above expectations and up from 15.9% at the end of June.

Persons: Jennifer Lorenzini, Siena, Valentina Za, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Wednesday, European Union, MPS, Thomson Locations: dei, Siena, Italy

☆ Telecom Italia core profit up 9% as grid share deal helps domestic sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

That is ahead of a 1.37 billion euro company-provided analyst consensus. Total domestic sales rose 2.2% in the quarter to 2.98 billion euros, also above forecasts. The company confirmed its 2023 financial targets, including a stabilisation of core earnings and service revenue in Italy. In the nine months, service revenue at TIM's domestic operations fell 1.3% to 7.9 billion euros. TIM's net financial debt stood at 26.3 billion euros as of Sept. 30, marginally up from the end of the previous quarter.

Persons: Stefano Rellandini, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, Vivendi, Italy's, KKR, TIM, Thomson Locations: Rozzano, Milan, Italy, TIM's

☆ Europe needs bigger banks but mergers hard without banking union -Intesa CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - European banks need to join forces if the region is to withstand competition from the United States and China but without a banking union, cross-border mergers do not make sense, the head of Italy's biggest bank Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) said on Monday. "You need synergies and the area where investors are looking for synergies is cost," he said, adding it was not easy "to deliver real cross-border synergies on the cost side". "I think we'll need to wait for a banking union to see real, significant cross-border consolidation. Orcel last month said Europe was destined to "irrelevance" if it did not work to unify its capital markets and create a banking union that allowed lenders to compete with U.S. rivals and adequately finance the region's economy. Intesa has a 30% market share of deposits and mutual funds, and 20% of insurance products, the CEO said.

Persons: Carlo Messina, Andrea Orcel, Messina, Intesa, Andrea Enria, Valentina Za, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: MILAN, CNBC, U.S, Central Bank's, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Europe, Orcel, Messina, Italy

☆ Telecom Italia gives green light to KKR's grid bid, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The price tag can reach 22 billion euros when including some future payments were a long-awaited combination of TIM's grid with that of state-backed fibre optic rival Open Fiber materialise, the first two sources said. Italian infrastructure fund F2i is also preparing to take a stake in the grid to bring the holding in Italian hands to 30%-35%. With its 24% TIM stake, Vivendi has warned TIM's board it is ready to bring a legal challenge to the sale after criticising its approval process, documents seen by Reuters showed. ($1 = 0.9321 euros)Reporting by Elvira Pollina; Editing by Valentina ZaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola's, Merlyn Advisors, Stefano Siragusa, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, Vivendi, Sunday, KKR, Reuters, TIM, Treasury, Thomson Locations: MILAN, London

☆ Telecom Italia approves KKR's $20 billion grid bid in blow for Vivendi
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Elvira Pollina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Telecom Italia (TIM) logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. The board started a review of KKR's offer on Friday, approving it on Sunday, TIM said. The sale's 18.8 billion euro price tag, including debt, could reach 22 billion euros if certain conditions are met, TIM said. TIM said it would not put the board's decision to a shareholder vote, in a setback for leading shareholder VivendI (VIV.PA). Vivendi, which owns 24% of TIM, has been seeking a higher price and questioned the sustainability of the business left behind.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Giorgia, Pietro Labriola's, Labriola, Merlyn Advisors, Merlyn, Elvira Pollina, Valentina Za, Will Dunham Organizations: Telecom Italia, REUTERS, TIM, Vivendi, Sunday, KKR, European Union, Treasury, VivendI, Thomson Locations: Italy, MILAN, London

☆ Italy's antitrust probes Intesa's customer shift to mobile service Isybank
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Giulia Segreti | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Intesa Sanpaolo bank logo is seen displayed in this illustration taken, May 3, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Intesa Sanpaolo SpA FollowROME, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authority said on Thursday it had opened a probe into the transfer of thousands of Intesa Sanpaolo (ISP.MI) customers to the bank's mobile-only service Isybank. After launching Isybank in June, Intesa at the beginning of October started moving about 300,000 customers from its traditional network. The antitrust also said that the shift to Isybank carried with it "important changes" to the terms and conditions of the accounts. Intesa told a presentation in June that it would over time increase the number of services Isybank users can access on their accounts.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Intesa, Giorgia Meloni, Carlo Messina's, Giulia Segreti, Valentina Za Organizations: REUTERS, Intesa, ROME, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Italy's

To this aim UniCredit wants to get to around 20 billion euros of in-house funds, Orcel said. UniCredit and Amundi are tied by a 10-year distribution agreement they signed in 2017, when UniCredit sold its internal asset manager Pioneer to Amundi. Orcel, who has been working to increase the bank's fee income since arriving in 2021, said on Tuesday UniCredit had been "rebalancing" its relationship with Amundi. By replacing the Amundi funds with its own products or those of partners who pay the bank more to sell their funds, UniCredit increases the portion of distribution fees in asset management it pockets. "In terms of value, I think in-house, strictly speaking, we're looking at about 20 billion euros," he said.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Andrea Orcel, UniCredit, Orcel, Valérie Baudson, Amundi, Mathieu Rosemain, Valentina Za, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris

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