The following factors could affect Italian markets on Thursday.
Reuters has not verified the newspaper reports, and cannot vouch for their accuracy. New items are marked with (*).
For a complete list of diary events in Italy please click on .
ECONOMY
ISTAT releases March unemployment data (0800 GMT); April flash CPI and HICP data (0900 GMT).
Reuters releases April asset allocation poll (1100 GMT).
French Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron gives speech at Rome's university.
Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan and Finmeccanica CEO Mauro Moretti attend conference on "Competitiveness, Development, Rules and Protections" (0830 GMT).
POLITICS
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi won the first of three confidence votes on a fiercely contested new electoral law on Wednesday, brushing aside opposition from rebels on his own side who walked out of parliament in protest.
COMPANIES
MEDIASET
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who controls Mediaset, met Thai businessman Bee Taechaubol on Wednesday to discuss the sale of a stake in Serie A soccer club AC Milan, which he has owned for almost 30 years.
Berlusconi's son Pier Silvio denied that his family's controlling stake in Mediaset was for sale but both French group Vivendi and Rupert Murdoch's Sky have been reported to be interested in some of its television assets.
ENI
Libyan protesters have shut down an eastern gas field and threaten to close the western Wafa oil and gas field, which would stop gas exports to Italy, a spokesman for state oil firm NOC said on Wednesday.
* ENEL
Moody's said on Wedenesday there was no immediate rating implications for Endesa Chile and Enersis from Enel's proposed reorganization.
GENERALI
Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, who owns 2.23 percent in the insurer, said on Wednesday he was in favor of introducing a loyalty share scheme at the Italian company.
* EXOR
Bermuda-based Axis Capital Holdings said in a statement late on Wednesday it continued to believe a merger with reinsurer PartnerRe was in the best interests of its shareholders. Exor in April made a bid for PartnerRe.
* PININFARINA
India's Mahindra & Mahindra will spend up to 80 million euros to take over Pininfarina, Il Messaggero said. It would pay 25 million euros to buy the majority stake held by creditor banks. It would then spend 35 million euros to launch a mandatory bid on remaining shares and 20 million euros for recapitalisation, the paper said.
* WORLD DUTY FREE
The CEO of Dufry thinks the planned acquisition of the stake of Edizione in World Duty Free will be completed in the third quarter, adding it would not be a problem if, after the subsequent mandatory takeover bid, the travel retail group remained listed, Il Sole 24 Ore said.
* STMICROELECTRONICS
Franco-Italian semiconductor maker STMicroelectronics posted slightly weaker-than-expected first-quarter results on Thursday and warned that it anticipated little pickup in the current quarter.
CNH INDUSTRIAL
The company holds board meeting on Q1 results, followed by conference call (1500 GMT).
RCS MEDIAGROUP
Board meeting.
Shareholders' meeting:
ASSICURAZIONI GENERALI, CAMPARI GROUP (0730 GMT), TELECOM ITALIA MEDIA (1330 GMT), AZIMUT , SAIPEM, YOOX.
Bourse After Hours market closed.
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FTSE IT allshare index
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Block trades..........
Stories on Italy...... <IT-LEN>
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