The FTSE MIB was flat to slightly higher at around 51,800 on Thursday, although it remained close to its lowest level in five weeks. While heightened tensions in the Middle East kept investors cautious, some relief came from oil prices and bond yields stabilizing after their sharp gains earlier in the week, helping limit pressure on broader market sentiment. At the sector level, gains were seen in STMicroelectronics (+1.8%), Poste Italiane (+1.3%), Prysmian (+1.3%), and Telecom Italia (+0.9%). Financials were also mostly in the green, led by Mediobanca (+0.9%), after reports that the ECB is expected to approve by mid-September its merger into MPS. Banco BPM (+0.6%), Intesa Sanpaolo (+0.5%), and BPER Banca (+0.3%) also advanced. On the flip side, oil major Eni fell more than 1%, tracking crude prices lower, while defence stock Leonardo was down over 2%. On the data front, the PMI survey showed that Italy’s services sector expanded at its fastest pace in over three years.